Rodney Terry reveals his initial thoughts on Texas facing Iowa State

Never is there truly a night off in the Big 12, proving to be one of the best conferences in college basketball. Texas is fresh off a win on the road against TCU but has a quick turnaround with Iowa State coming to Austin on Tuesday night.

Rodney Terry gave his initial thoughts on the Cyclones, a team Texas will only face once this season due to an expanded Big 12. He took time to speak on the roster TJ Otzelberger has built. Transfers have been added to the squad but Terry believes a lot of quality returned from last season.

“One of the best teams in the country,” Terry said. “TJ has done a great job with this group this year. He’s brought in some really good transfer guys that have had impact for them this year. He’s had some continuity with some guys from last year’s team.”

Keshon Gilbert is currently Iowa State’s leading scorer but was playing at UNLV not too long ago. He is putting up 14.2 points a night and scored 24 against Baylor on Saturday. The remaining two Cyclones averaging double-figures were a part of the 2022-2023 squad though.

Iowa State is currently one of the many teams vying for the Big 12 regular season championship, being tied at the top in the loss column. The roster-building Otzelberger did the offseason is a huge reason why in Terry’s eyes.

Rodney Terry looking to limit turnovers against Iowa State

Discussing more on-court issues Texas may face — Terry knows taking care of the ball against Iowa State is important. The Cyclones are the best in the Big 12 and rank No. 3 in the country, forcing 17.9 turnovers per game. A lot of them are live ball as well, allowing them to run and score quick and easy baskets.

“They’re one of the best teams in the country at turning you over. No. 1 in the country in terms of forcing 17, 18 turnovers in a game in conference play. They’re playing faster because of that.

“They do a great job crashing the glass. They’re one of the elite teams at getting to the foul line. Really put pressure on the basket, really challenging you to play without fouling, and putting them on the line.”

Texas turns the ball over around 13 times a game, being middle of the road across the country. Being somewhere around the average could be considered a success for Terry. Especially with another Quad I opportunity ahead, hoping to improve the NCAA Tournament resume.