Scariest road game
No. 17 Iowa State Cyclones at Kansas State Wildcats
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU
All road venues are hostile and uninviting situations; that's what makes them road games. Iowa State's trip to the Little Apple contains an added dash of malice. For starters, the Cylcones are already coming off back-to-back losses in Big 12 play, one at home (94-89, to Baylor) and one on the road (94-91 in overtime at Texas). Steve Prohm's team played valiantly in its Big 12 opener at Oklahoma on Jan. 2, a game it led deep into the second half. On Monday, Oklahoma makes its return trip to Hilton Coliseum. Which is to say: If Iowa State loses at K-State on Saturday, it would be 0-3 in its past three games and 1-4 in conference play in advance of a visit from Hield and the Sooners. See? It's a terrifying scenario. Considering how tight Bruce Weber's team is playing on the defensive end this season, it's not a far-fetched one, either.
1. What's Iowa State's biggest issue right now? And can Kansas State exploit it?
Andy Katz: The Cyclones lack depth. Losing Nazareth Mitrou-Long hurt. Coach Steve Prohm said as much last month. The grind of the Big 12 makes the need for a strong bench even more important.
Dana O'Neil: It's the same problem that has haunted the Cyclones for a while now -- defense. It is one thing to be a really good offensive team, but eventually you have to stop someone. Iowa State gave up 94 points in each of their last two games. That's not good enough to beat anyone. Kansas State isn't exactly a scoring machine, but the Wildcats are also much more comfortable in a more methodical game. If the Cyclones can't get their tempo or stop K-State, they could have trouble.
C.L. Brown: Sometimes the Cyclones rely too much on their jump shooting instead of driving to the basket and getting to the free throw line. Iowa State is last in the Big 12, averaging just 16 free throw attempts per game. (By comparison West Virginia leads the league with 31 attempts per game.) If the Cyclones start off missing perimeter shots early, Kansas State could stay in the game.
