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AMES – When Iowa State basketball takes the court against Houston on Saturday, in some ways the Cyclones will be staring into a mirror.
Both teams enter Saturday ranked in the top 10. Their successes are predicated on defense, a balanced attack, unrelenting play on both ends of the court, and pride in disrupting their opponents.
In an era when players often try to see if the grass is greener elsewhere, sure Houston and Iowa State have brought in some newcomers and transfers, but they have largely retained their rosters from last season.
“They found the right guys that will fit into their culture to come in as well,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “They’ve done a good job as any of identifying the guys that will play for them and be successful.”
The fifth-ranked Cougars (22-4, 14-1 Big 12 Conference) are returning from a successful road trip in which their recent win over Arizona State broke a Big 12 record for longest winning streak in conference road games. They got their 12th straight Big 12 road win, surpassing the previous mark set by Kansas in 2003.
They will host No. 8 Iowa State (21-5, 11-4) for a Saturday game at 1 p.m. CT.
The Cougars are well-positioned to earn another Big 12 regular-season title, boasting a 14-1 record in conference play, with some room over second-place Arizona at 12-3.
While it would take a late-season collapse for the Cougars for the Cyclones to have a shot at the regular-season title (Iowa State has only five games left), this contest still has major implications for Iowa State’s NCAA Tournament seeding.
Both teams also met in last year’s Big 12 Tournament title game, which Iowa State won, and they aspire to return there in March and go even further in the NCAA Tournament.
“We had three great battles last year – they got us down there, so we’re looking to go down there, get some revenge and make that a different outcome,” Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey said. “They have some similar guys back, as we do too. We know (J’Wan) Roberts,…
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Author : The Des Moines Register
Publish date : 2025-02-21 11:22:00
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