One of the toughest games on the Kansas basketball schedule is here. KU is set to travel north to Ames on Wednesday to take on Iowa State in a top-10 clash. KU will arrive at Hilton Coliseum ranked No. 9 nationally while the No. 2-ranked Iowa State team will look to defend its home court. The Jayhawks will be in search of a seismic win in the conference title race and their first win in Ames since 2022.
The Jayhawks enter the game off the back of three consecutive wins following KU’s Big 12 opener defeat to West Virginia. The Cyclones, on the other hand, are in the midst of an 11-game winning streak which is the longest win streak in the country. Iowa State has Big 12 wins over Colorado, Baylor, Utah and Texas Tech with the games against the Texas schools coming on the road.
As a team, Iowa State is rated as one of the best teams in the nation. The Cyclones have the No. 6 offense and No. 9 defense in Kenpom. On offense, Iowa State is led by guards Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert who are averaging 17.3 and 16.1 points per game, respectively. The Cyclones also have double-digit scorers in Joshua Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic. Defensively, Iowa State continues to be a team that puts pressure on opposing teams. It ranks No. 21 nationally in turnover rate while also ranking No. 21 in free throw rate defense (meaning the Cyclones don’t foul much)…