3 things to watch when the Cyclones play Dayton

On By Littum

Iowa State and Dayton are coming off heartbreaking losses after being on the wrong end of comeback efforts, so expect them to be fired up for Tuesday’s consolation semifinals at the Maui Invitational.

The Cyclones (3-1) fell to Auburn in a contest of top-five ranked teams in Monday’s quarterfinals, 83-81. Iowa State led by 18 points in the first half before the Tigers stormed back into the game, eventually winning on a last-second tip-in by Johni Broome.

Dayton (5-1) had a 21-point lead erased against North Carolina, which outscored the Flyers in the final moments of the game and held on to win, 92-90.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm CT. The game will be available on ESPNU.

Depending on the results of this round, Iowa State could play either UConn or Colorado on Wednesday.

Here are three things to watch out for Tuesday night:

Does Dayton find a clue from the three-point line?

The Flyers boasted the third-highest three-point shooting percentage in the country last season, shooting 39.9% from long range.

This year, Dayton found a new identity with a more interior-focused offense and tough defense.

The Flyers struggled from the three-point line through their first five games before the Maui Invitational, shooting just 31.1%.

On Monday night, however, they hit a season-high 14 three-pointers and shot 43.8% from beyond the arc. The three-pointer was crucial for Dayton to build its big lead, but also to keep the Flyers ahead as long as they could deep into the second half as North Carolina began to rally and tighten up in the paint.

Against North Carolina, five different players made multiple three-pointers.

Aside from the three-pointers, the Flyers like to spread the ball around and use a balanced attack. In five of six games, the Flyers had at least four different players score in double figures. Dayton will deploy a 10-man rotation.

Nate Santos was an all-conference selection last season and had a big second half against North Carolina, scoring 12 of his team-high 15 points after halftime.

Enoch Cheeks is headed for a career year. Zed Key made an impact since transferring from Ohio State, and Malachi Smith’s return from a season-ending injury has been a boost.

How will both teams adjust to each other’s defenses?

Both teams pride themselves on defense, being able to disorient their opponents, generate turnovers and create scoring opportunities.

It will be interesting to see how they handle each other’s defensive schemes, especially when they have low turnover rates this season.

Dayton excelled in upsetting North Carolina and causing the Tar Heels to have several uncharacteristic turnovers in the first half.

Iowa State also clamped down on Auburn early.

Things started to break down for both teams in the second half, but who will push themselves for the full 40 minutes on Tuesday?

Cyclones will look to return against a familiar face

Former Iowa State assistant coach James Kane is now in his fourth season at Dayton.

He reunited with head coach Anthony Grant and the Flyers after previously serving one season on Grant’s staff in 2017-18 before joining Iowa State.

Kane was with the Cyclones for the last three years of the Steve Prohm era. In his first year as an assistant, Iowa State won a Big 12 tournament title with a roster that included Marial Shayok, Lindell Wigginton and then-freshmen Talen Horton-Tucker and Tyrese Haliburton.

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.