Iowa State faces even bigger task after loss of two key players at Houston

Curtis Jones, Keshon Gilbert both unavailable Saturday for Cyclones

Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones will both be out for Saturday's game against Houston for Iowa State. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The task for the eighth-ranked Iowa State men is a daunting one on Saturday, as they travel to No. 5 Houston for a Big 12 Conference showdown.

Unfortunately, the Cyclones will go into battle without two key weapons.

The school announced on Friday night that starter Keshon Gilbert and key sixth-man Curtis Jones are both unavailable for the game. 

Curtis Jones (Illness) and Keshon Gilbert (Muscle Strain) will be unavailable for Saturday’s game at Houston. #Cyclones | #C5C

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 21, 2025

Gilbert will be out with a muscle strain while Jones is sidelined due to an illness.

Jones averages a team-leading 17.6 points per game and almost five rebounds while Gilbert adds 14.1 points, 4.5 assists and nearly four rebounds. He is the second-leading scorer for the Cyclones. 

Iowa State (21-5, 11-4) has won four straight since the return of Milan Momcilovic. That includes three games in which Gilbert or Jones led them in scoring. 

Houston (22-4, 14-1) has won its last five and leads the league with only a handful of games left. The Cougars are 7.5-point favorites. 

The game between Iowa State and Houston tips at 1 p.m. CT and airs live on ESPN.