It is mid-January, and college basketball isn’t just here, but it’s heating up.
- The Three-Headed Trio: If you haven’t seen what T. J. Otzelberger has built at Iowa State, let me tell you, they are legit. Recently, they defeated No. 9 Kansas 74-57, marking their 12th consecutive victory in a row since losing to No. 1 Auburn and extending their home winning streak to 28 games in a row. Impressive. Something even more impressive though, is their three-headed trio. Tamien Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert might be the stars that start, but there is one that the whole country should know. Without a doubt, Curtis Jones off the bench is the best 6th man in the country.
As of January 17, 2025, here are the season averages for the trio. The stats are from ESPN.com.
Curtis Jones:
- Points per game: 13.7
- Rebounds per game: 3.1
- Assists per game: 2.5
- Steals per game: 1.2
- Field goal percentage: 45.3%
- Three-point percentage: 36.8%
Key Performance against No.9 Kansas: 25 points, shooting 9-for-17 from the field, including 5-for-6 from 3-point range.
Tamin Lipsey:
- Points per game: 10.2
- Rebounds per game: 4.6
- Assists per game: 4.9
- Steals per game: 2.1
- Field goal percentage: 48.5%
- Three-point percentage: 32.4%
Keshon Gilbert:
- Points per game: 16.5
- Rebounds per game: 4.2
- Assists per game: 5.3
- Steals per game: 1.8
- Field goal percentage: 51.2%
- Three-point percentage: 38.7%
- Ace has shut down the haters: While Dylan Harper took the beginning spotlight of the season away from Ace Bailey due to his spectacular start, Ace has flipped the switch lately. Ace, a top 5 projected pick in this upcoming 2025 draft and compared by some to Kevin Durant, has put up unreal numbers in his last six games. Only a freshman, Ace doesn’t shy away from the Big Ten competitive competition. Here are his last six games:
January 16, 2025, at Nebraska: 24 points
January 13, 2025, vs. UCLA: 20 points
January 9, 2025, vs. Purdue: 17 points
January 6, 2025, vs. Wisconsin: 15 points
January 2, 2025, at Indiana: 39 points
December 30, 2024, vs. Columbia: 24 points
Season Averages for him as well:
- Points per game: 19.3
- Rebounds per game: 7.9
- Assists per game: 1.0
- Field goal percentage: 46.2%
- Three-point percentage: 36.7%