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

[ad_1]

After taking a punch to the gut in an overtime loss to Arizona on the road, Iowa State men’s basketball will look to turn the page at home against Kansas State on Saturday.

After a 6-2 start to the year, the Wildcats went on to lose nine of their next 10 games, but they appear to be putting that rough patch behind them. Kansas State (9-11, 3-6 Big 12 Conference) enters Hilton Coliseum with back-to-back double-digit wins over West Virginia and Oklahoma State.

Third-ranked Iowa State (17-3, 7-2 Big 12) will look to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in over a year. The last time the Cyclones dropped two straight was during the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational.

Could Kansas State be turning a corner, or will Iowa State continue its impressive winning streak at home? Saturday’s game is scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. CT. It will also be available on ESPN2.

Here are three things to watch for during the contest.

More: Iowa State basketball: Where do Cyclones stand in latest NCAA Tournament bracketology?

Kansas State transfers making an impact alongside David N’Guessan

Kansas State had a massive roster rebuild heading into this season. David N’Guessan, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, bounced between starting and sixth-man roles for the Wildcats over the last few years. He is the lone meaningful returner for an otherwise new-look roster.

N’Guessan had an 11-point, 16-rebound double-double when the Wildcats upset Iowa State in last year’s regular-season finale. This season, he’s having his most productive year yet, with 12.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 63.9% on the floor.

After N’Guessan, there is a quartet of transfers who have made an impact upon arrival.

Brendan Hausen is thriving in an expanded role after being on the bench at Villanova. The sharpshooting guard is averaging 12.0 points, with a team-best 41.3% clip from beyond the arc. His 62 made 3-pointers entering Saturday are the most in the Big 12.

More: Hines: Iowa State basketball’s loss to Arizona offers two…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-state-basketball-3-things-182942625.html

Author : The Des Moines Register

Publish date : 2025-01-30 18:29:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.