The No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks (15-1, 4-0 Big 12) will try to overcome one of the NCAA’s top scoring defenses when they play host to the No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones (13-2, 4-0 Big 12) on Saturday. Iowa State blew out the Texas Tech Red Raiders 84-50 at James H. Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday, their sixth win in a row.
Gabe Kalscheur was a top performer with 25 points and seven rebounds. The Cyclones fell to second in the Big 12 Conference. Kansas won their ninth in a row on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse, beating the Oklahoma Sooners 79-75.
KJ Adams Jr. had 22 points, carrying the team. The Jayhawks remain first in the Big 12 Conference. The teams are meeting for the only time this season. Kansas won both games between the teams last season, the last of which was a 70-61 triumph at James H. Hilton Coliseum in February 2022, their sixth straight head-to-head victory.
David McCormack led the Jayhawks with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Izaiah Brockington had 24 points and eight rebounds in the loss. The Cyclones have been led this season by Jaren Holmes and Kalscheur, who are averaging 13.1 and 11.8 points per game, respectively. Meanwhile, Aljaz Kunc is grabbing 4.3 rebounds per game, and Tamin Lipsey is dishing 4.7 assists.
Jalen Wilson’s 20.0 points per game have powered the Jayhawks on offense. Wilson also has collected 8.8 rebounds per game. Dajuan Harris Jr. has tallied 6.3 assists per game. The Cyclones are holding opponents to 57.7 points per game, ranking as one of the stingiest scoring defenses in the NCAA (8th).
The Cyclones have struggled in recent games at Allen Fieldhouse, losing nine of the last 10.In the last 10 games, Iowa State is 8-2 with an average margin of +10.0 (68.6-58.6). Kansas has gone 9-1 over the last 10, scoring 77.4 points per game on average while holding opponents to 64.3 (+13.1 margin).
CYCLONES HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Gabe Kalscheur: 21.6 | 15.9 | +5.7
Aljaz Kunc: 2.2 | 12.3 | -10.1
Points per game:
Gabe Kalscheur: 16.6 | 11.8 | +4.8
Rebounds per game:
Aljaz Kunc: 0.6 | 4.3 | -3.7
JAYHAWKS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Joseph Yesufu: 3.0 | 4.9 | -1.9
Points per game:
KJ Adams Jr.: 14.8 | 10.4 | +4.4
Rebounds per game:
Gradey Dick: 6.8 | 5.3 | +1.6
Assists per game:
Jalen Wilson: 2.0 | 2.7 | -0.7
SportsTips’ College Basketball Pick:
Kansas -7.5 (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
