Iowa State basketball: 3 things to watch when the Cyclones play Colorado

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Big 12 competition is finally here. Iowa State men’s basketball will begin the 20-game conference play gauntlet on the road against Colorado on Monday night.

Iowa State (10-1) has a seven-game winning streak. The Cyclones finished non-conference play with a 99-72 rout of Morgan State in their previous outing on Dec. 22.

Colorado (9-1) has won four straight games and most recently beat Bellarmine, 79-55, on Dec. 21.

This will be the second meeting between the Cyclones and the Buffaloes this season. Iowa State defeated Colorado earlier this year, 99-71, but since the game took place at the Maui Invitational, it did not count in the conference standings.

Monday’s game is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT from the CU Events Center. It will be available on CBS Sports Network.

Here are three things to watch in Monday’s Big 12 opener:

Iowa State’s ability to score off turnovers

Colorado committed 18 turnovers in its previous meeting with Iowa State on Nov. 27, which the Cyclones converted into 37 points. It was a major factor in the Cyclones’ winning effort in the Maui Invitational, on top of having six Iowa State players score in double figures.

The Buffaloes have already experienced the Cyclones’ high-pressure defense firsthand and will know what to expect. However, Colorado hasn’t fixed its turnover issues.

The Buffaloes average 14.2 turnovers per game this season. They enter Monday’s game with a 20.1% turnover rate, which ranks 310th in the country.

Monday’s game projects to be closer than the 28-point margin of victory when these two teams last met, but how will Colorado adjust or fare against the Cyclones’ defense in this rematch?

Colorado’s ball movement, three-point shot

The Buffaloes are back in the Big 12 for the first time since 2011. They were previously part of the Pac-12, before being part of the mass exodus.

Colorado didn’t really get a chance to showcase its ball movement against Iowa State the last time out, as the Cyclones were too disruptive and overpowering on both ends of the…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-state-basketball-3-things-115526555.html

Author : The Des Moines Register

Publish date : 2024-12-30 11:55:00

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