Iowa State basketball: 3 things to watch when the Cyclones play host to UCF on Tuesday

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After suffering a loss at West Virginia to end a 12-game winning streak that was the longest in the country, Iowa State men’s basketball is headed back to the comforts of Hilton Coliseum, where it will look to extend its home winning streak of 28 straight.

Iowa State hosts visiting UCF on Tuesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT (ESPN+).

The Cyclones dropped to 15-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12 Conference after falling to the Mountaineers on Saturday, 64-57. It was their first loss since the opening-round defeat to Auburn at the Maui Invitational on Nov. 25.

UCF (12-5, 3-3) is also coming off a tough loss. The Knights had top 10-ranked Houston on upset alert on Saturday before the visiting Cougars got a last-second basket to win, 69-68. The Knights have traded wins and losses since the start of conference play.

Here are three things to watch Tuesday:

UCF’s guard trio

The Knights are led by an experienced trio of guards in Keyshawn Hall, Darius Johnson and Jordan Ivy-Curry. All three bring a different dynamic to the court.

Hall, a 6-foot-7 guard, leads the Knights with a team-high 16.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He is an aggressive player who likes to attack inside and crash the glass, but he can occasionally make 3-pointers if left open. He dropped 40 points in the Knights’ recent 95-89 win at Arizona State and will look to bounce back from his quiet six-point outing against Houston. He did, however, grab 11 rebounds against the Cougars.

Johnson is a dynamic two-way threat. The four-year starting point guard is a solid facilitator, scorer and disruptive defender. He is averaging 14.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and a Big 12-best 2.7 steals per game. He is shooting 41.1% overall and a team-best 41.7% from deep.

Ivy-Curry, a 6-foot-3 guard, offers a bit of everything. He is not as efficient as Hall or Johnson, but he is a solid contributor on both ends of the court. Ivy-Curry is averaging 14.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 39.6%…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-state-basketball-3-things-184733603.html

Author : The Des Moines Register

Publish date : 2025-01-20 18:47:00

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