Keshon Gilbert (10) is one of the nation’s top guards. (Iowa State University Athletics)
This week, top-ranked Kansas lost its second straight; Kentucky avoided an upset by coming back from 18 down to beat Gonzaga; and Creighton guard Pop Isaacs‘ hip has acted up again, requiring season-ending surgery. Some other college basketball stories we’re following…
Keshon Gilbert Among Best Guards in the Game
After a middling 19-14 campaign in 2022-23, the Iowa State Cyclones set a school record with 29 wins last season and look poised to possibly surpass that this season. Thanks to four straight wins they are 7-1 so far in non-conference play to earn a share of first in the Big 12 with conference play starting in under three weeks.
The Cyclones ranked sixth in the last AP poll, but some considered them a top five team (and really, a potential No. 1 seed at this point) thanks to how brilliantly Keshon Gilbert is playing.
The senior guard had a big second half on Sunday (scoring 12 of his 16 points) to help Iowa State dismantle winless Jackson State, 100-58. Gilbert has been a bit quiet offensively in two of the last three games, but continues to facilitate the offense and pitch in on the glass — and his superb play has been recognized.
He’s gotten progressively better each season, but particularly since transferring from UNLV two years ago. Gilbert’s bucket count is up and he’s become an excellent ball distributor. And he’s tough… on Wednesday he shook off an elbow to the face to pour in a game-high 24 points (see video below).
Gilbert has emerged as one of the top guards in the country, solidifying his likelihood of going in the second round of next year’s NBA draft. He has potential as a spot up shooter combo guard, perhaps seeing some time as a backup PG given his improving passing skills. Gilbert is capable of scoring off the dribble and the fact he’s improved his shooting — at least from two-point range — will go a long way.
A Sooner Senior
Another team that has been on the rise over the last couple of years is the Oklahoma Sooners. They managed just 15 wins in 2022-23, and although they rebounded to 20 last season, it marked a third straight year of failing to quality for March Madness.
With a 9-0 start so far (resulting in a ranking of 13th in the country), that drought could end this season (Oklahoma is currently listed at -220 to make the field of 68 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament as per FanDuel).
On Saturday, the Sooners had their way with winless Alcorn State, 94-78, thanks to 20 points in just 19 minutes from senior forward Jalon Moore. He’s now piled up 20 or more in three of the last four while recording a double-double in the only game he was under 20.
Moore is another player who keeps getting better, but since transferring from Georgia Tech, he’s really found his game, and his improvements this season specifically have been profound. Other than a slight dip in his rebounding, his numbers are up almost across the board.
An athletic 6’7″ wing, Moore went to last year’s draft Combine but opted to return for his senior season, and thanks to a more consistent effort he’s far more likely to get drafted in 2025.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
Edward Joseph Money (previously Mahoney) was known to the world as Eddie Money, the American singer who was active from the 1970s until his death in 2019. Among his bigger hits was “Two Tickets to Paradise,” from his eponymous debut album in 1977. The single hit No. 22 on the Billboard Top 100.