Iowa State climbed to second in the rankings this week for the first time in school history.
But the Cyclones won’t have much time to reflect on their achievement — they are busy preparing for their next opponent, which figures to be one of their toughest this season.
No. 2 Iowa State (14-1, 4-0 Big 12) will put its 11-game winning streak on the line when it tips off against No. 9 Kansas (12-3, 3-1) on Wednesday evening in Ames, Iowa.
The matchup puts the Jayhawks — who have won three games in a row and five of their past six — in a rare position as underdog.
Kansas coach Bill Self said he and his players are eager to see how they measure up against one of the top teams in the nation through the first couple months of the season.
“I think any time you play a team ranked as high as Iowa State, you get fired up,” Self said. “We’re playing the second-ranked team in the country. If I’m not mistaken, Auburn beat them in Maui by two. Iowa State could have easily won that game and be undefeated right now. I think we’re playing as good a team as there is in America.”
Self remembered correctly. The Cyclones’ only blemish this season is a two-point loss against then-No. 4 Auburn at the Maui Invitational on Nov. 25. Auburn now holds the No. 1 ranking.
Iowa State features five scorers who are averaging in double digits. Curtis Jones leads the group with 17.3 points per game and is shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc.
Keshon Gilbert ranks second on the Cyclones with 16.1 points to go with a team-high 4.7 assists per game. Joshua Jefferson averages 12 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds.
Tamin Lipsey (10.4 points per game) and Milan Momcilovic (10.3) also rank among the team’s top five scorers.
On the opposite side, Kansas features two players who are averaging in double digits in scoring. Hunter Dickinson leads the team with 15.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, and Zeke Mayo is next in scoring with 14.3 points while shooting 36.8 percent from 3-point range.
Self paused for a moment when asked if his team had established a clear identity.
“It’s still a work in progress, but obviously I’m sure you guys can tell, too, the defensive intensity has been amped up since the start of the year,” Self said. “I don’t know that we have a true identity yet, but I think we’re gaining on it.”
Dickinson agreed. He pointed to the Jayhawks’ defensive effort in their most recent game, a 54-40 win Saturday at Cincinnati.
“It might not be the most aesthetically pleasing type of basketball, but I do think that’s what Coach Self would prefer, actually,” Dickinson said. “He always talks about him wanting to have a team that is tougher, the better defensive team, the team that just kind of wants it more.”
Iowa State is 9-0 at home this season, and Kansas is 2-2 on the road.
Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger said nothing is guaranteed in a conference as tough as the Big 12.
“It’s early league play,” Otzelberger said of his team, which is coming off an 85-84 overtime victory at Texas Tech on Saturday. “Anything can happen. Everybody is still finding out what they have in their team. … I think for all of us, we’re just trying to be the best we can on the day that we play the game.”
–Field Level Media
