The Big 12 offers up another top-25 showdown on Tuesday night when the no. 20 Iowa State Cyclones host the no. 10 Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks escaped with a 62-61 in the first meeting between these teams. However, the Jayhawks are listed as 4.5-point road favorites on Tuesday night, with the over/under set at 138.5 points.
While the Cyclones are a top-25 team, they are just 3-5 in the rough and tumble Big 12. ISU endured a stretch early in conference play when the Cyclones lost five of seven games. However, they have back-to-back wins over Oklahoma State and Missouri to get back on track and improve to 16-5 overall.
Meanwhile, the Jayhawks are hoping to quickly bounce back from a lopsided home defeat against Kentucky over the weekend. That loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Kansas. On the bright side, the Jayhawks are 6-1 in league play, putting them in a tie with Baylor atop the Big 12 standings.
Back to Basics
Saturday’s loss to Kentucky falls primarily on the shoulders of forward David McCormack and Jalen Wilson. The two have been uneven this season but started to come on strong when the Jayhawks won five in a row, only to combine for just 11 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Kentucky. Without much frontcourt depth, Kansas relies a lot on McCormack and Wilson, with the Jayhawks being at their best when those two play well.
Kansas has similar depth issues in the backcourt once they get past Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun, who are averring 20.9 and 15.2 points per game, respectively. Both failed to reach their season average against Kentucky but have been reliable all season, with Agbaji surely in the hunt for Big 12 Player of the Year honors. However, Remy Martin has faltered after a strong start, and Dajuan Harris isn’t there yet, giving the Jayhawks limited options if Agbaji and Braun aren’t clicking.
Ready for the Cyclone
The Cyclones have managed to get back on the track over the past two games behind the efforts of Izaiah Brockington. He’s averaging 16.8 points per game on the season but is averaging 20 points per game over his last three games and was huge in the overtime win over Oklahoma State last week. Tyrese Hunter and Gabe Kalscheur are also key members of the Iowa State backcourt, with Hunter leading the way with 4.7 assists per game.
But much like Kansas, the Cyclones have a problem with depth beyond their top three or four players. Caleb Grill is a huge X-factor because of his outside shooting, although he’s scored anywhere between two and 17 points in his last four games, so he can be a boom-or-bust player. The ISU frontcourt is also a mystery, as Aljaz Kunc scored 11 points against Missouri after three straight scoreless performances, while George Conditt has failed to find consistency this season.
What Version Shows Up
Both of these teams are loaded with variables because neither has much depth, relying heavily on their core players. Kansas is surely the more talented team, but only when Wilson and McCormack show up. With the Cyclones moving in the right direction, there is value in taking Iowa State has 4.5-point home underdogs in this game.
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