Following a tough loss to the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames, Iowa, Bill Self commended T.J. Otzelberger‘s team for their impressive performance.
Self mentioned Iowa State’s effort and hustle in the matchup, as well as the outstanding game from senior guard Curtis Jones.
“Iowa State’s got a very good team with talented guys,” Self said. “TJ and his guys have done an incredible job. But really, what makes them who they are? I bet you they get 75% of every 50-50 ball. If there’s a ball in the air, they seem to get it. “
“I thought in the first half, there were probably five or six balls on an offensive rebound that they got that could’ve been ours,” Self continued. “We tried, but there’s a difference between trying hard and actually competing. I think they were better in that area.”
The Cyclones held Kansas to their second-lowest total of the season with 57 points scores, eclipsing their season-low of 54 scored vs. Cincinnati by three. Kansas turned the basketball over 17 times in the matchup, which led to 23 points off turnovers for the Cyclones.
Self finished his compliments by mentioning Jones’ standout performance, saying, “They had a player play like a First-Team All-American, and he’s terrific.”
Jones lit Kansas up in the first half with 20 points at the break. He finished his day by going 9-17 from the field and 5-6 from three, where he posted 25 total points. With the explosive day, Jones has now reached the 20-point mark in each of his last three outings and in four of his last five games.
