WVU Basketball HC Ross Hodge Breaks Down Iowa State Matchup

WVU basketball is set to step into the den of the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones for its first away game and Big 12 opener.

Head coach Ross Hodge spoke to the media Wednesday, breaking down the matchup’s outlook ahead of WVU’s trip to Ames. He opened by addressing Iowa State’s defense, mentioning how the Cyclones feature the nation’s best turnover percentage.

“A lot of it starts with their defense and obviously they’re one of the best defensive teams in the country,” Hodge said. “They do an elite job of turning your turnovers into points they lead the country and turnover percentage, they’re turning people over about 25% of the time.”

On the offensive end, Iowa State has multiple prolific scorers, including senior forward Joshua Jefferson, junior forward Milan Momcilovich and senior guard Tamin Lipsey.

“Jefferson’s playing at an elite level as good as he was last year. He’s probably gotta be one of the most improved players, you know, in the country shooting the ball, draws fouls, can kind of make plays for others,” Hodge said. “Obviously, you know, Momsilovich is one of the best shooters in the country and then you Lipsey’s experience at the point and they just, they play really well together and play with good pace and they’re good.”

Jefferson comes into this season having averaged 13 points per game and being named to the all-Big 12 second team in 2024-25. This year, he leads the Cyclones in Points per game at 18.1 and rebounds per game at 7.1.

“They have different ways they can play through and Jefferson has really turned himself into  a first team all American type of player up until this point and he’s kind of in that point forward role and he can handle the ball and he can pass the ball and he can shoot the ball and he draws fouls,” Hodge added.

Hodge detailed Iowa State as “efficient” and “opportunistic,” saying the Cyclones play with pace and play solid defense.

“They’re gonna guard you for long stretches of the time if they don’t turn you over,” Hodge said.
“And so that can, can make it look like the game’s a little slower than it is. But you know, they’re opportunistic, they, they, they play with pace, they turn you over, they get the ball out and then they got good efficient players man that are capable of making shots.”

WVU basketball will play Iowa State at 7 p.m. on Jan. 2 at Hilton Coliseum.

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