OMAHA, Neb. — The Washington State men’s basketball team will be back in action in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday when they take on #2 Iowa State.
The Cougs advanced to the second round of the tournament with a comeback win over Drake on Thursday. The Cougars shot just 29.6% while trailing most of the second half, but Drake's season-worst 6-of-14 performance at the free-throw line allowed them to win in their first tournament appearance since 2008.
Iowa State advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after beating #15 South Dakota State. The Cyclones finished the season with a 28-7 record and beat the eventual #1 seed Houston to win the Big 12 tournament championship. The 2024 tournament is the Cyclones 22nd overall tournament and their fifth in a row.
Game time, channel, and how to watch
For those wondering what channel the Washington State-Iowa State game is on, here are the details.
The #7 Washington St. Cougars will play the #2 Iowa State Cyclones in a game that tips off on Saturday, March 23 at 3:10 p.m. The game will be played at the CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.
The game will air nationally on TNT. The game will also stream online via TNT. According to their website viewers can, "Watch for free on your phone, tablet, and television with your cable subscription." Streaming of all games is also available through NCAA.com, but a cable subscription may be required.
Cougars vs Cyclones
Saturday’s matchup between the Cougs and the Cyclones will be the first time these two teams have played one another.
Washington State's leading scorer is Isaac Jones who averages over 15 points per game. In addition to Jones, Myles Rice, Jaylen Wells and Andrej Jakimovski all averaged double digit points for Wazzu.
Iowa State’s leading scorer is Keshon Gilbert who averages around 14 points per game. In addition to Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic, and Curtis Jones all average in the double digits for points for the Cyclones.
The Cyclones come into the game against the Cougs averaging 75.6 points per game while allowing 61.3 points per game. The Cougars average 74.3 points per game while giving up 66.9. In terms on NET Rankings, Iowa State is a top team in the country coming in at six while Washington State comes in ranked #44.
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