Mississippi State Bulldogs Coach Has Strong Comments on Iowa State Cyclones Freshmen

What did Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans have to say about the Iowa State Cyclones freshmen?

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In their most recent game, the Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team dominated the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The teams played a neutral site game at the Sanford Pentagon, which the Cyclones won 96-80.

There were a lot of players who contributed to the team, acing their first test of the campaign. Point guard Tamin Lipsey was excellent on both ends of the floor, setting the tone for his teammates to follow.

Blake Buchanan, Joshua Jefferson and Dominick Nelson joined Lipsey as double-digit scorers, adding 13, 18 and 11 points respectively. But it was the team’s defense that staked Iowa State to an early lead it rode to the end.

The Cyclones forced 26 turnovers, scoring 29 points off those Mississippi State mistakes. There was a lot to like from the team’s performance, but three players stood out in the opinion of the Bulldogs’ head coach, Chris Jans.

Chris Jans heaps praise on Iowa State freshmen

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He came away very impressed with the team’s trio of freshmen: guards Killyan Toure and Jamarion Batemon and center Dominykas Pleta. Jans said those three are ahead of schedule, which Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger responded to.

“Well, I mean, whether they're ahead of schedule or they stepped up when we needed them to on Monday, I guess that's up for interpretation. What I'd say is, in terms of all three guys, they do a lot of things to impact winning,” the Cyclones head coach said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network.

Toure was a surprise member of the team’s starting lineup right out of the gate. He has played incredibly well alongside Lipsey. Against Mississippi State, he had six points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

Batemon, a highly-regarded shooter coming out of high school, knocked down two of the team’s five 3-pointers off the bench. He added three rebounds and is seeing his role expand off the bench.

Cyclones freshman growing into prominent roles

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Right now, Pleta looks to be on the fringe of Otzelberger’s rotation. He has yet to play double-digit minutes in a single game, but is active when on the court. Three offensive rebounds were pulled down against the Bulldogs, keeping possessions alive for second-chance points.

Toure already has a prominent role in the rotation as a starter. Batemon and Pleta are being slow-played a little more, but as Jans noted, they are already capable of making positive impacts on the court.

The future looks incredibly bright for Iowa State with the young players already making their presence felt on the hardwood.