Iowa State continues stunning turnaround from 2-22 season, overwhelms Wisconsin to land in Sweet 16

MILWAUKEE — When new Iowa State coach T.J. Oztelberger assembled his team for the first time on June 10, he never put specific numbers on the goals ahead.

The numbers had been bleak enough for the Cyclones in 2020-21: just two wins, none after Dec. 20, 2020, and 18 straight losses to close the program's worst season since 1925.

«We didn't set out for a certain win total, or to do anything based on what transpired in the past,» Otzelberger said. «What we did set out to do is restore pride to a program that I love so much.»

Nine months later, Iowa State can celebrate a new number: Sweet 16. The 11th-seeded Cyclones continued their historic turnaround Sunday, stunning No. 3 seed Wisconsin 54-49 in front of a Wisconsin-heavy crowd at Fiserv Forum. ISU advanced to its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016, when Otzelberger served as an assistant, and will play Friday in Chicago.

Iowa State on Friday became the team with the lowest winning percentage (.083) in the previous season to win an NCAA tournament game, as it outlasted LSU 59-54. Before Sunday, the team with the lowest winning percentage to reach the Sweet 16 the following year was Ohio State BUckeyes, which went 8-22 (.267) in 1997-98 before a Final Four run in 1998-99 (Ohio State later had to vacate its wins).

«How we turned around this program from [2-22] to the Sweet 16, it's crazy,» said guard Gabe Kalscheur, who scored a game-high 22 points. «A lot of people don't see that as big from the outside, but in this community of Ames, Iowa, it's a big turnaround.»

Kalscheur fueled the offense, but Iowa State beat Wisconsin using its signature defense, holding the Badgers to season lows in points (49), field goal percentage (29.8), 3-pointers (2) and 3-point shooting