Iowa State Cyclones forward Robert Jones (12) shoots while Houston Cougars guard Damian Dunn (11) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball's Big 12 Conference showdown in the Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
No. 6 Iowa State (20-5, 9-3) travels to Texas for a Big Monday matchup with No. 2 Houston (22-3, 9-3) at the Fertitta Center (8 p.m., ESPN).
The Cyclones took care of business on Saturday with an 82-74 victory over Texas Tech. The team forced 16 turnovers and scored 28 points from those mistakes.
The Cougars secured a commanding 82-61 victory over the Texas Longhorns
Saturday. With both programs tied for first place in conference play at 9-3, it sets up one of the biggest college basketball games of the year between the top two teams in the Big 12 Conference.
About the Cougars
It's hard to say this is Houston's first season in the Big 12. Trainer Kelvin
Sampson and his team are tied for first place in the league and have the chance to take the lead with a win on Monday evening.
The Cougars have been one of the most impressive teams in college basketball this season and that has a lot to do with their style of play. Like Iowa State, Houston plays excellent, tenacious defense. They have only given up more than 70 points once this season.
On offense, Houston's strength lies in scoring. This is because of their ability to collect offensive rebounds so well. In some cases, the best offense is to place a shot and score on the offensive board.
In the latest Bracketology report from ESPN's Joe Lunardi, Houston is projected as the No. 1 seed in the South Region. The Cyclones recently jumped to the No. 3 seed and have a chance to jump the seed with a win against the Cougars.
Sampson has two guards who are among the best in the country. LJ Cryer is the leader in offense, averaging 15.3 points per game on 40.6 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from three-point range. Cryer is the most dangerous 3-point shooter on the Cougars roster and can get hot quickly.
The other star guard for the Cougars is Jamal Shead. He was the glue of his team this season and was the team's second-leading scorer with 12.8 points per game as well as the leader in both assists (5.8) and steals (2.3) per game.
Along with Tamin Lipsey, Shead is one of the best point guards in the Big 12. The battle of the point guards will be an important duel throughout the game.
Second year in red shirt Emanuel Sharp is a sniper for Sampson
squad. He averages 12.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game on 37.6 percent shooting
in shooting from the field and 35.4 percent from behind the arc. In the first meeting with the Cyclones, Sharp scored 20 points and grabbed 5 rebounds
while shooting 6-12 from the floor and 5-10 from behind the arc. Iowa State's guards will have to push him off the three-point line and force him to make contested mid-range jump shots.
Up front, the Cougars have some of the most physical players in the world
Country. J'Wan Roberts And Yes'Four Francis Hold color for Houston.
Roberts, a 6-foot-7 forward, scores 9.1 points per game and grabs a team-high 7.1 rebounds. Francis, who is 6-foot-3, scores just 6.0 points per game, but he averages a team-high 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Iowa State must emphasize limiting Houston to one possession and limiting second-chance opportunities on offense.
How does the ISU manage to survive the turmoil on the streets?
TJ Otzelberger and his team have a great chance to do that on Monday night
solidify themselves as the conference's leading team.
In the schools' first meeting, the Cyclones forced 16 turnovers, most of them in the first half, while jumping out to a 14-0 lead. The Cougars turned the ball over just three times in the second half and got back into the game, eventually taking a late lead. Iowa State has to force the Houston guards into difficult situations where they force passes that don't exist.
Tamin Lipsey And Keshon Gilbert will be crucial to converting those turnovers into points. The Cyclones have done that all year and need to do it again to give themselves a chance on the road.
Earlier this season, the Cyclones struggled with making free throws
Opportunities. However, this was corrected in the last few games. When traveling on the road to play a top 5 team, the best way to score easy points is to get to the free throw line. Iowa State is the second-best team in the conference when it comes to getting to the free throw line, and Houston is the No. 1 team in the league when it comes to personal fouls per game at 18.0. If Iowa State can get to the finish line 15-20 times, that could be beneficial to staying in the game.
Huge opportunity for the Cyclones
For many people, Monday night has long been considered one of the biggest regular season games in program history. The Cyclones have a chance to take the outright lead in the Big 12 Conference with five games to go, which would be monumental for a program four years removed from a 2-22 season.
Iowa State showed they can beat the Cougars and play their style
Basketball. The Cyclone program has not won an outright Big 12 regular season title since the 1999–2000 team. On Monday evening you have a great chance to take another step closer to this goal.