St. Louis Showdown: No. 15 Men’s Basketball vs. No. 2 Iowa State Friday

Mo. Basuony

Published: March 22, 2026 3:23 PM ET

St. Louis Showdown: No. 15 Men’s Basketball vs. No. 2 Iowa State Friday

Tennessee State opens NCAA Tournament play Friday at 1:50 p.m. CT. The first-round game takes place at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. CBS will televise the contest and Westwood One will carry radio coverage.

Matchup details and broadcast

The Tigers are a No. 15 seed in the Midwest Region. They meet No. 2 seed Iowa State in a marquee first-round pairing.

This will be Tennessee State’s first NCAA game since 1994. Iowa State arrives after a run to the Big 12 title game, where it fell to Arizona.

Series history

The Cyclones lead the all-time series 4-0. All previous meetings occurred in Ames between 1995 and 2009.

Iowa State won the last meeting 84-53 on Nov. 24, 2009. Friday marks the programs’ first neutral-site and postseason clash.

Tennessee State’s path back to March

The Tigers ended a 32-year NCAA drought by winning the 2026 OVC regular season and tournament. This is Tennessee State’s third Division I NCAA appearance, joining 1993 and 1994 teams.

TSU earned the OVC’s No. 1 seed, its first top seed in 30 years. The Tigers coasted to a 93-67 victory over Morehead State in the OVC final.

OVC final highlights

Tennessee State never trailed and led for 39 minutes and 10 seconds. The Tigers piled up 55 first-half points and hit 16 three-pointers.

TSU shot 49.3 percent for the game and made 11 of 13 free throws. The margin peaked at 28 points, and the team collected 44 rebounds.

Coaching and accolades

Head coach Nolan Smith produced the turnaround in his first season. He was named OVC Co-Coach of the Year and is a finalist for multiple national coaching honors.

Smith brings deep tournament experience from his Duke years. As a player and staffer, he has been part of many NCAA wins and deep runs.

Players to know

The Tigers feature a high-scoring core and balanced depth. Three players combined for a large share of the offense this season.

Aaron Nkrumah: Team-leading 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 91 steals. He reached 20 or more points 13 times.
Travis Harper II: Averaged 17.3 points, shot 40.1 percent from three, and hit 85.8 percent of free throws.
Dante Harris: OVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player and former Big East Tournament MOP. He averaged 11.7 points and 4.5 assists.
Antoine Lorick III: Defensive presence with 44 blocks, and averages of 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Jalen Pitre: Strong rebounder at 6.6 boards per game and an efficient 63.0 percent shooting.
Depth contributors: Carlous Williams, Kavien Jones, Damon Howard Jr., and Jabrion Spikes supplied scoring, energy, and defense off the bench.

Historical context

Tennessee State’s program includes a landmark Kansas City run. As Tennessee A&I, the school won three straight NAIA titles from 1957 to 1959.

That era produced a 94-8 record across three championship seasons. The program later reached the NCAA Tournament in 1993 and 1994.

What to watch in St. Louis

The matchup will test TSU’s perimeter shooting and transition defense. Iowa State brings Big 12 size and experience from its conference run.

The setup promises a St. Louis Showdown: No. 15 Men’s Basketball vs. No. 2 Iowa State Friday, televised on CBS. Fans can expect a physical, fast-paced opening round game.

For continued tournament coverage and analysis, visit Filmogaz.com. The site will follow team updates and game recaps.