Iowa State Basketball Faces BYU in Big 12 Quarterfinals Without Injured Keshon Gilbert

Iowa State men’s basketball will have their hands full in Thursday’s Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal game against BYU after being dealt a huge blow by the loss of key guard Keshon Gilbert, who has been ruled out because of a groin strain. The Gilbert injury will prevent him from playing in the crucial game, a source on the issue stated.

Gilbert, who prefers to take the ball to the basket and was aggressive in his performance, was restrained throughout Iowa State’s second-round victory against Cincinnati. He came off the bench and played just 11 minutes of the first half, scoring three points on 1-of-2 shooting. Both shots were from outside the three-point line because his mobility was restricted, preventing him from driving the ball to the rim as he would have otherwise.

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Gilbert’s absence is a major blow to the Cyclones since he has been a solid contributor this season, averaging 13.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. His passing and shooting-creating quality is certainly going to be missed when going against a physical BYU team.

Iowa State’s head coach, T.J. Otzelberger, will have to tap his depth to make up for Gilbert’s loss. Players such as Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones could have more roles in the backcourt to make up for the loss of the injured guard.

The Cyclones, who were 24-7 at the end of the regular season, are looking to make a deep Big 12 Tournament run to help their seeding in the next NCAA Tournament. But it will be a tall order to beat BYU without one of their best playmakers.

The games will be played, the quarterfinals on Thursday; because of their loss, Iowa should at least advance to that. Fans will wonder if the team will cope without Gilbert and persist with their strong play in the postseason.