AMES — It has been an odd start to the season for No. 7 Iowa State, not by the games it has played in, but by how the schedule has been set up.
From when the season started Nov. 4 in the Cyclones’ 83-44 win over Mississippi Valley State, to when Iowa State travels to Maui to face No. 5 Auburn on Nov. 25, the Cyclones will have only played four games, all occurring on a Monday.
That includes Iowa State’s next matchup against IU Indianapolis, which is slated as a Monday night game like the previous two games.
This odd schedule has also played a part in the team’s drop in the AP Top 25 polls, as the Cyclones started the season as the fifth-ranked team in the nation, but now dropped to the seventh-ranked team due to the lack of games played.
Going back into last season, the Cyclones’ schedule had not been set up for the once-per-week games. Instead, they were able to start with two games in the opening week of play.
Especially for the players on the team, like guard Tamin Lipsey, they wished they got to play more often instead of having to wait every week to only play one game instead of the traditional two.
“I don’t think any of us personally like it,” Lipsey said. “We’re ready to play games a little quicker. But it’s a little different early season when you gotta play and wait a whole week to play again so you’re just antsy to get back out there.”
For head coach T.J. Otzelberger, it becomes a challenge to try and keep his team game-ready with the odd schedule, so establishing a rhythm in his practices has become a necessity for his squad.
“I’m big on getting in a rhythm and trying to stay in that rhythm,” Otzelberger said. “As odd as it is to play four Mondays in a row, we tried to establish a practice cycle that still feels like we play two games in a week.”
One day specifically that Iowa State uses the most to stay game-ready is Thursday.
“On our Thursdays, we have more of a live game-setting so it feels like the second game of the week,” Otzelberger said. “We try to build that schedule out so the guys feel like they’re playing two games a week and are in that same rhythm so that it doesn’t feel like there’s that long time period in between games.”
While the practices will always be a challenge for the Cyclones, having the game-like settings in practice during this lull in play can help prepare the players for what they will face later in the season, especially when Big 12 conference play starts in late December.
“Our practices are intense,” Lipsey said. “[Thursday] was like a game. We’re still able to compete and do things like that but when that comes [increase in games per week], it’s gonna be a lot. Especially in Big 12 play, we’re gonna wish we had longer breaks.”
But for now, as Iowa State prepares to take on IU Indianapolis at 7 p.m. Monday, the Cyclones will look to stay in rhythm and keep their undefeated season alive.
