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  • T.J. Otzelberger Adds Two New Assistants To His Basketball Coaching Staff At Iowa State

T.J. Otzelberger Adds Two New Assistants To His Basketball Coaching Staff At Iowa State

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Basketball

Iowa State men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger has named Erik Crawford and Stevie Taylor as assistant coaches. Crawford has spent the past two seasons as the Director of Player Development, while Taylor was the Assistant Director of Player Development last season.

The 2023-24 Cyclones won the Big 12 Championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones finished with a 29-8 overall record and 13-5 league record, the second-most wins in school history. The 37 games played are tied for the most in program history. The Cyclones went a perfect 18-0 at Hilton Coliseum, the fifth undefeated year in the building's history. Iowa State had seven Top 25 victories on the year, including two wins over Houston when they were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 and a victory over No. 7 Kansas. 

During Crawford's two seasons in Ames, the Cyclones have advanced to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.

"Erik has been an unbelievable resource for the young men in our program," Otzelberger said. "He has created tremendous value in improving our guy's perimeter shooting and designing a plan of attack to be successful offensively. He has been a terrific asset to our coaching staff and program. We're very happy for Erik."

Crawford played a pivotal role in Tamin Lipsey's increased production during his sophomore season in 2023-24. Lipsey was just 5-of-25 from 3-point range as a freshman, but went 45-of-115 (39.1%) in his sophomore year. He also increased his rebound average from 4.0 to 4.6, while turning the ball over fewer times and increasing his assist total by 30. He averaged 7.3 points as a freshman and moved that number to 12.4 as a sophomore.

Taylor joined the Cyclones prior to the 2023-24 season.

"Stevie has worked countless hours with our guys in the player development department and their skill development putting time into their game," Otzelberger said. "We're excited for him and this step forward for him and his career."

The Cyclones open the 2024-25 season Nov. 4 against Mississippi Valley State at Hilton Coliseum.