Iowa State basketball: 3 things to watch when the Cyclones play at Texas Tech

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Road games are never easy in the Big 12 Conference, and Iowa State basketball will put its 10-game winning streak on the line when it heads over to Lubbock, Texas, to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday afternoon.

The Cyclones (13-1, 3-0 Big 12 Conference) have beaten every conference opponent so far by a double-digit margin. They pulled away in the second half to defeat Utah, 82-59, in their previous outing on Tuesday night.

Texas Tech (11-3, 2-1) has regained momentum since dropping its Big 12 opener against UCF. The Red Raiders rebounded with back-to-back road wins over Utah and BYU. They closed out strong against the Cougars for a 72-67 win on Tuesday night.

Saturday’s game is scheduled to tip-off at 1 p.m. CT. It will also be available on ESPN.

Here are three things to watch for:

Texas Tech Red Raiders forward JT Toppin (15) dunks over Utah Utes guard Miro Little (1) during the second half at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Texas Tech’s J.T. Toppin, Darrion Williams are potential NBA Draft prospects

There’s still plenty of basketball left, but the Red Raider tandem of junior Darrion Williams and sophomore J.T. Toppin have both appeared on various mock drafts.

They’re mostly projected to go somewhere in the second round, according to 2025 NBA mock drafts by ESPN and Bleacher Report. However, recent mock drafts by Fox Sports and CBS Sports suggest that Toppin could go mid-to-late first round.

Regardless of where they land, there’s no doubt this is a talented pair.

Toppin, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward, has made an immediate impact since transferring in from New Mexico. He shined for the Lobos last season, but he’s already proven that he’s capable of playing and starring at a higher level.

He brings elite athleticism, speed and bounce, paired with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He’s a handful on both ends of the court, but he excels at finishing inside and grabbing rebounds. Toppin is averaging 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 57.0% overall….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-state-basketball-3-things-112532376.html

Author : The Des Moines Register

Publish date : 2025-01-10 11:25:00

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