Iowa State hosts U-N-I in the 41st meeting in the series on Tuesday night. The Panthers are 3-0 after Sunday’s win over Upper Iowa but they have struggled with their shooting touch. U-N-I is shooting just 24 percent from three point range and that was expected to be a strength.
U-N-I coach Greg McDermott says they’ve shot the ball well in practice, and as long as they don’t lose confidence in their shooting, he’s not worried.
McDermott expects his team to shoot better but does not expect anything close to last year’s game against the Cyclones in which the Panthers blistered the nets at a 60-percent clip in posting a lopsided win. He says anytime you make ten three-point shots in a half he says that’s hard to top. He says they were able to capitalize on every I-S-U mistake, something he says doesn’t happen often in a game.
Like a year ago McDermott says the Panthers will need to avoid mistakes against the I-S-U press. He says you have to attack the press, and he says the Cyclone defense is based on getting turnovers off the press. McDermott says a key to winning on the road is defense and his team will have to make the looks I-S-U gets at the basket at difficult as possible.
McDermott says they expect the Cyclones to be motivated. He says Hilton Coliseum is one of the most difficult places to play and McDermott has never won there. McDermott says the Cyclone’s loss to Iona will have them looking to start a new home winning streak.