No. 15 Iowa State missed out on a big name, image and likeness (NIL) payday for its athletes. Coach T.J. Otzelberger had other goals in mind: improving his team and upholding his program's character.

Despite going 2-0 over the first two days of the Players Era men's tournament, the Cyclones cracked neither the championship game nor the third-place game. Iowa State will face Syracuse -- which lost its first two games of the week -- in the first consolation game on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

After Iowa State (6-0) defeated No. 14 St. John's 83-82 on Monday, it had a clear objective in front of it Tuesday: win against Creighton, and try to win big.

Because the field of the second-year event ballooned from eight teams to 18, Players Era organizers skipped a traditional bracket and used point d

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