T.J. Otzelberger loves his team — I mean, really, really loves it
Eighth-ranked Iowa State's head coach used a rare soliloquy to express his gratitude recently — and he's still brimming with deep appreciation
NOTE: The following piece is a revised version of one I published last week at Cyclone Fanatic and with the Cedar Rapids Gazette
AMES — T.J. Otzelberger’s self-described “rant” lasted precisely eight minutes and 13 seconds.
Iowa State’s head coach spoke passionately about his eighth-ranked team’s fan base — both at home and on the road. He then rhapsodized about the Cyclones’ “truly heroic” efforts this season, which have buoyed them into the Final Four and national championship conversation.
Otzelberger didn’t overlook a single player on ISU’s roster, from frontline stars to little-used walk-ons. Then the 47-year-old who’s seen almost every conceivable high and low in three stints — two as an assistant, and the latest as the head coach — with the Cyclones’ program rested his case.
“So I may have answered all your questions,” Otzelberger said early last week in advance of his team’s (20-5, 10-4) win over Cincinnati. “I don’t know if you have any.”
We did — but it’s worth sampling from at least snippets of the high praise Otzelberger heaped on each of his players who have assumed evolving and crucial roles in games and during his arduous practices:
On Tamin Lipsey …
“What he’s playing through is nothing short of heroic,” Otzelberger said of his all-Big 12 point guard, who he noted is not only playing with a fractured thumb, but also hunting the 3-point shot and shooting it better because of his mental fortitude. “He’s literally the greatest winner that I’ve ever been around.”
On forward Milan Momcilovic, who recently returned from a hand injury that required surgery …
“If everybody could see the return that he had, the work that he put in, the plyo(metrics), the effort, the energy, the sprints — like, he came back, because he’s a great teammate, and competitor and winner, he came back probably at least a week if not two prior (to) what probably anybody would have came back,” Otzelberger said.
On “floor general” Keshon Gilbert …
“How he set the tone for us (in Tuesday’’s win at UCF), moving the ball and making plays for his teammates, like the dynamic floor leader, floor general — he made the right play over and over,” Otzelberger said.
On transfer forward Joshua Jefferson, whose been a double-double machine this season …
“(He’s) continued to rededicate himself from a leadership standpoint,” Otzelberger said. “And I think a lot of times when it’s your first year in a program you don’t want to ruffle feathers with the guys returning. Joshua Jefferson, his leadership, his poise — I mean, when people are making this comparison to (former Cyclone great) Georges Niang, who is probably the best college player that I’ve ever been around, and when you’re getting compared to (him) and who he is, and how he worked and how he does everything, that says everything you need to know about how well Joshua’s playing and how much he’s leading our team.”
On leading scorer Curtis Jones, ISU’s so-called sixth starter …
“How does he come off the bench?” Otzelberger said. “He’s the most consistent player there is. There’s not a more consistent player out there. Every single day he does the same thing, so whether he starts, comes off the bench, whatever’s thrown at him, that consistency shows up for Curt every single time he takes the floor.”
On transfer lockdown defender Nate Heise, who’s adjusted to a reserve role …
“When you look at Nate Heise getting on the floor for loose balls and setting the tone last game — those are like five- and six-point plays,” Otzelberger said. “There’s four players on the other team and one Nate Heise diving on the floor (and) that ends in a Keshon 3.”
On backup big man Brandton Chatfield, who ranks third on the team in offensive rebounds despite playing 14 minutes per game …
“We call them ‘hammers’ in our program when you get offensive rebound, outback, finish,” Otzelberger said. “When you get two of them on the road (like at UCF), in the final nine or 10 minutes of the game? Those are as much backbreakers as anything can be.”
On transfer center Dishon Jackson, who leads the Cyclones in blocked shots with 24 …
“We’re seeing more and more elite defensive performances from him — his communication, is energy, his enthusiasm,” Otzelberger said.
On Demarion Watson, who’s provided myriad high-flying hustle plays while not knowing if/when he’ll see minutes …
“There’s not another Demarion Watson who’s just always ready when the coach calls on him,” Otzelberger said. “And it may not be next game and it may be next game. It may be in the first half and it may be in the second half.”
On minutes-starved bench players such as JT Rock, Kayden Fish, Nojus Indrusaitis, Conrad Hawley and Cade Kelderman …
“When you look at our team dynamic on the bench, everybody’s like, ‘Well how do you get that?’” Otzelberger said. “You don’t just snap your fingers. Man, it’s a credit to those guys — their attitude, their mindset, their mentality.”
So to sum up, ISU’s head coach is filled with gratitude. The inspiration for his “rant” came while sitting on the team plane on the way back from Orlando. Otzelberger struggles to sleep on planes. He’s too wound up, so he watched as much film as possible, then sifted through his thoughts and settled on the deep appreciation stemming from all of the above — and then some.
Oh, and one more thing: The Cyclones have now been ranked in the Associated Press’ top ten for 22 consecutive weeks — a string unmatched by any program in the country. The level of success they’ve turned into a new normal is not only unusual, it’s also almost unprecedented. And if that doesn’t make ISU’s players, coaches and fans alike extremely grateful, nothing will.
“There (are) some really awesome things happening in front of our eyes,” Otzelberger said. “And if you don’t really enjoy them and appreciate them when they are happening, they can pass you by, and that’s a shame when you miss out on those joys. Because like I said, I’ve been here when we haven’t had them. I’ve been here when we’ve been last in the league as an assistant when things hadn’t gone as well. And I think that’s really helped shape me, and benefit me, and helped me is so many ways. But to your point, a lot of reflection of what’s happened, what’s in front of us, and an appreciation for all the people that are making this so awesome.”
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