Despite students still not being back in classes, the atmosphere inside Hilton Coliseum will be loud and wild Wednesday night when Kansas comes to down to face Iowa State.

The second-ranked Cyclones and No. 9 Jayhawks are a combined 26-5 on the season

Iowa State (14-1, 4-0) kept its win streak intact with a come-from-behind victory over Texas Tech on the road this past Saturday. Joshua Jefferson was the savior, sinking a bucket at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. 

While the Cyclones have been right there in terms of contending for Big 12 gold, the Jayhawks have constantly ruled supreme. Kansas owns 20 conference regular season crowns and 11 tournament titles over the last 24 years. 

“Coach Self has certainly been the gold standard in our league in terms of stacking up conference championships and the success they’ve had,” Otzelberger said. “We’ve done okay in terms of being able to be somebody that welcomes that challenge.”

The Jayhawks have been locked in on defense since a 62-61 loss to West Virginia on New Year’s Eve, allowing 48, 55 and 40 points in wins over UCF, Arizona State and Cincinnati.

“If you’re (Kansas), every game out, every team has (them) circled as a rivalry game,” Otzelberger said. “I think what’s happened in this is that there’s been some really hard fought battles.

“There’s been games that have gone down to the wire, came down to that last possession. I think respect has evolved along the way.”

Iowa State is unbeaten at home this season, earns wins over the likes of Utah, Baylor and Marquette. Otzelberger is 54-8 at Hilton Coliseum as head coach of the Cyclones. 

“It’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere,” Otzelberger said. “I think where we’re unique is that we know we’re going to have great fan support, we’re going to have great energy and enthusiasm, and we’re going to put ourselves in a great position to be competitive and successful.”

Who: Iowa State vs. Kansas in men’s Big 12 Conference basketball action

When: 6 p.m. CT | Wednesday, January 15

Where: Hilton Coliseum | Ames, Iowa

Live Stream: Stream Iowa State vs. Kansas live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

TV Channel: ESPN2

Betting Odds: Iowa State is favored by 5.5 points. Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Our Prediction: Iowa State 82, Kansas 80

Live Updates, Highlights: Follow the game on Iowa State on SI for live updates, in-game analysis and big-play highlights.