Iowa State desperately needs Milan Momcilovic back on the court

The Cyclones have struggled since 3-point shooter went out
The Iowa State offense has looked off since the loss of Milan Momcilovic, as Tamin Lipsey continues to heat up.
The Iowa State offense has looked off since the loss of Milan Momcilovic, as Tamin Lipsey continues to heat up. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Initially, the Iowa State men seemed to be capable of overcoming the loss of top 3-point shooter Milan Momcilovic.

However, over the last couple of games, it has been evident that the third-ranked Cyclones need him back as soon as possible.

Iowa State looked lost on offense while Kansas State forced them to take ill-advised shots in posting an 80-61 victory. They also had some issues in the overtime defeat against Arizona on the road.

Tamin Lipsey has found his shot despite having an injured hand, but that is forcing other players to do different things away from what they were doing during the 15-1 start.

Momcilovic was averaging 10 points while shooting 44 percent from the 3-point line when he suffered an injury in practice. That was five games ago, and he still ranks second in made triples behind only leading scorer Curtis Jones. 

Speaking of Jones, his insertion into the starting lineup has changed what he does and shortened the bench for TJ Otzelberger. Jones was instant offense coming into games minutes in and providing a spark when needed.

Getting Momcilovic back, with Lipsey finding his rhythm and having Jones back to lead the second wave makes Iowa State the Final Four contender everyone believes them to be.


Published
Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in north-central Iowa.