Two highly ranked teams are desperate for a win to break out of recent skids.
Only one of those teams will get its wish when No. 3 Iowa State tips off against No. 11 Kansas in a Big 12 Conference battle Monday night in Lawrence, Kan.
Iowa State (17-4, 7-3 Big 12) is eager to bounce back from two consecutive losses against Arizona on the road and Kansas State at home. The Cyclones have lost three of their past five games after winning 15 of their first 16.
Meanwhile, Kansas (15-6, 6-4) is coming off a demoralizing loss against Baylor in which it made history for all the wrong reasons. The Jayhawks blew the biggest lead in a loss in program history as they squandered a 21-point advantage and fell 81-70 to Baylor, dropping to 1-2 in their past three.
Kansas coach Bill Self did not rip into his team after the blown lead. He mostly stayed quiet, knowing that Monday’s game against Iowa State provides an opportunity for his players to show that their last performance was an aberration.
“I really didn’t say much,” Self said. “I don’t think in situations like that there’s really a lot to be said. Any type of pick-’em-up talk isn’t going to be heard. And there’s no reason to get on anybody (with intense criticism).”
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger also is eager to see a better showing from his team. The Cyclones are coming off an 80-61 loss on their home court, which marked their first defeat at home in nearly two calendar years.
“It certainly wasn’t an effort that we’re proud of at all,” Otzelberger said of falling to Kansas State. “Definitely different than our standard (in terms of) what we expect and what we’ve demonstrated through the first 20 games. …
“I think it starts with self-accountability. You have to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘How did I help on the glass? How did I help make people miss? How did I help guard the ball?’ And if you first start with that and you’re doing a great job of that yourself, it puts you in a position where you can challenge your teammates and others to do the same thing.”
Kansas is led by Hunter Dickinson, who is averaging 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds. Dickinson is shooting 52.6 percent from the field.
Zeke Mayo ranks second on the Jayhawks with 15.0 points per game. Dajuan Harris Jr. (9.8 points per game) and KJ Adams Jr. (8.3) round out the top four scorers.
Iowa State’s leading scorer is Curtis Jones, who is averaging 17.9 points and shooting 37.8 percent from the 3-point line. Keshon Gilbert is next with 15.2 points to go along with a team-high 4.5 assists per game.
Joshua Jefferson adds with 12.9 points per game to go along with a team-high 8.0 rebounds per contest. Tamin Lipsey scores 10.8 points per game.
This will be the 260th meeting in the storied rivalry between the programs. Kansas leads the all-time series 190-69, but Iowa State has won the past two contests.
–Field Level Media
