Iowa State basketball: 3 things to watch when Cyclones play at Kansas on Monday

Posted by author February 2, 2025 Basketball

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After suffering back-to-back losses, it doesn’t get any easier for Iowa State basketball.

The Cyclones are headed into the Phog for a rematch with Kansas on Monday night. They previously beat the Jayhawks, 74-57, on Jan. 15, when both teams were ranked in the top 10.

Iowa State (17-4, 7-3 Big 12 Conference) saw its 29-game winning streak at Hilton Coliseum come to an end in Kansas State’s decisive 80-61 win Saturday.

Kansas (15-6, 6-4) is also coming off of a tough loss. The Jayhawks squandered a 19-point halftime lead at Baylor before the Bears scored 60 second-half points and closed the game on a 29-9 run over the final 7:15 to win, 81-70.

Monday’s game is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN.

Here are three things to watch for during the game:

Iowa State’s effort on defense, rebounding

These areas of the game were pivotal in the Cyclones’ earlier win over Kansas.

In their previous meeting, Iowa State held Kansas to 40.7% shooting overall and 5-of-16 (31.3%) from long range. The Cyclones also generated 17 turnovers, which turned into 23 points on the other end. They also outrebounded the Jayhawks, 43-33.

Iowa State will need to put together a much better effort after getting beat up on the glass in the loss to Kansas State. The Cyclones also allowed all five Wildcat starters to score in double figures and let Kansas State shoot 10-of-20 (50.0%) from beyond the arc.

The Jayhawks are another solid rebounding team behind the likes of Hunter Dickinson and Flory Bidunga, but their guards also like to crash the glass.

Iowa State limited Dickinson to a season-low six points on 3-of-9 shooting, and it limited his effectiveness in the post on both ends of the court. Since that game, he’s responded by scoring at least 20 points in three of the Jayhawks’ last five games.

Zeke Mayo led the Jayhawks against Iowa State in their previous meeting, scoring a team-high 17 points.

It will be vital for the Cyclones to stop, or at least slow down, Mayo and Dickinson. The Jayhawks struggle to generate consistent offense outside of these two players.

How Iowa State can jumpstart its offense if Curtis Jones goes cold?

Iowa State is still figuring out how to play without Milan Momcilovic. The Cyclones are now 3-3 during his absence.

In recent losses to Arizona and Kansas State, a couple of glaring issues have persisted for the on offense.

Not only are teams packing it inside more since Momcilovic is out, but Kansas State showed that it can bring increased pressure inside and get an extra defender to come in from behind and swipe the ball loose. The Cyclones have committed 18 turnovers in back-to-back games, an uncharacteristic amount for a team that generally takes good care of the ball.

The other issue is if Curtis Jones isn’t able to get going, the Cyclones have been stunted offensively. He’s certainly a catalyst for success, but Arizona and Kansas State were both able to limit his effectiveness and it’s no coincidence that both games led to losses for the Cyclones.

Jones has hit a rough patch in the last two games and is shooting a combined 2-of-14 (14.3%) from long range. Overall, he is 5-of-26 (19.2%).

If Jones is unable to shake his recent slump against the Jayhawks, the Cyclones will need to find a different way to generate consistent scoring.

Tamin Lipsey has played well in the recent losses, but they’ll need more output from other areas of the starting five, especially since there are no scoring threats off the bench at the moment.

Can Iowa State complete the regular-season series sweep?

Iowa State will attempt to complete its first regular-season series sweep of the Jayhawks since the 2000-01 campaign.

The beloved 1999-2000 and 2000-01 Iowa State teams both swept the Jayhawks.

Allen Fieldhouse is historically a tough place to play for any visiting team, but Kansas has already suffered two losses in conference play at home this season to West Virginia and Houston.

This season marks the first time Kansas has lost multiple games at Allen Fieldhouse since 2018.

That 2018 Kansas team lost three home games (Arizona State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State) and it’s the only Jayhawk team since 2000 to ever lose three times at Allen Fieldhouse. However, they made up for it by reaching the Final Four.

Over the last 20 years, Iowa State won at Kansas twice. The Cyclones stunned then No. 2-ranked Kansas in a 63-61 overtime win in 2005. Their only other win during this two-decade stretch was also in overtime when Iowa State came back from a 15-point deficit and won 92-89 over third-ranked Kansas.

Prediction

It’s a rough patch for Iowa State and a lot to ask for from the Cyclones, who will have to mentally and physically turn the page from back-to-back losses and take on Kansas.

Perhaps a different result against Kansas State would have meant more optimism for Monday’s matchup. The Cyclones will bear down defensively, but offensive issues persist on the road and the Jayhawks escape in a tight game. Kansas 65, Iowa State 63

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.