The Kansas Jayhawks enter the conference schedule as the top dogs in the Big-12. The Iowa State Cyclones will be gunning for them as they journey to Ames to take on the Cyclones in a conference battle. A win for Iowa State would be a major resume builder and Kansas, even while ranking No.5 in the AP, isn’t without its concerns.
Kansas is a perennial National Title contender and this season is no different, but the Jayhawks have been playing a ton of close games of late and finally suffered their first loss recently against Arizona State.
Both Kansas and Iowa State have a key player returning from injury just in time for this contest and that’ll add a level of intrigue. Can Iowa State continue is strong start to the year here in January and maintain its undefeated mark at home or will Kanas prove too much to handle as the Jayhawks continue to establish their dominance in the Big-12?
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Kansas Jayhawks vs. Iowa State Cyclones
Date and Time: Saturday, January 5, 2019, 5 p.m. ET
Location: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
College Basketball Odds: Check Back Later
Jayhawks vs. Cyclones TV Coverage: ESPN2
The Cyclones have been a pleasant surprise through the non-conference schedule. The team was 10-2 prior to its first Big 12 matchup against Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.
Despite the strong record, Iowa State continues to fall under-the-radar in the rankings. While outside the top-25 in the AP and Coaches Polls, Iowa State is No.18 according to KenPom’s adjusted rankings as the Cyclones have been very good offensively and good-enough defensively to surprise some people early on.
This is a completely different team than the one that struggled through last season. Talen Horton-Tucker has started his college career off with a bang while Marial Shayok, the senior transfer from Virginia has been the team’s leading scorer with 20.1 PPG.
The senior guard is playing over 30 minutes a game and dominating outside with nearly two threes a game. He’s shooting 52.6-percent from the floor, offering strong rebounding skills and excellent ball control.
Add in Horton-Tucker, Nick Babb, and Tyrese Haliburton and you have five excellent guards that rotate around to form the team’s solid four-guard set used for the majority of the game. Babb and Haliburton are tied for the team lead in assists with 4.3 as the team’s shown the ability to move the ball around and get it into the hands of someone with a clean shot.
The team’s talent adds some depth with the return of Lindell Wigginton. The second year guard just got back into action against Eastern Illinois after suffering an injury in the season opener. Wigginton played just 18 minutes and scored 15, shooting 5-for-7 from the floor. Wigginton along with the rest of the guards should help keep the backcourt fresh and rested throughout the game. That’s important in a matchup against a strong team like Kansas.
Overall, Iowa State has 84 PPG and is shooting nearly 50-percent from the floor and 35-percent from three-point range.
In the frontcourt, Michael Jacobson is an excellent shot with 15.4 PPG and he can shoot from down low or on the perimeter, opening up the floor.
The Cyclones can score. They can shoot the rock, but they’ll also need to show the ability to rebound and defend against Kansas.
The Jayhawks should have a nice advantage inside. Dedric Lawson himself has 10.8 RPG along with 19.6 PPG. The junior forward has Udoka Azubuike back in toe. The 7’1” center missed several games, but played 20 minutes in the team’s most recent win over Eastern Michigan, scoring 23 points and nabbing nine rebounds and a pair of blocks.
Between Azubuike and Lawson, it’s hard to find a better frontcourt than the one in Kansas. On the outside, Lagerald Vick and Devon Dotson bring a combined 27 PPG and 5.1 APG to the table. Quentin Grimes, meanwhile, is a talented freshman guard who’s struggled a bit with consistency, but is coming off a 16-point performance.
Kansas is 11-1 on the year with the team’s lone loss as of Wednesday coming against Arizona State. The Sun Devils did a good job defending everyone by Lawson. Lawson was 12-for-15 from the floor. The rest of the team was just 15-for-50 and just 6-for-26 outside.
Live Betting
Watch to see how well the Cyclones compete inside the paint early in this game. With Azubuike and Lawson down low for the Jayhawks, Iowa State is at a huge disadvantage and will need Jacobson along with other contributors like George Conditt IV to hold their own inside against the strong frontcourt.
At the same time, Shayok, Horton-Tucker, Wigginton, Babb, and Haliburton all need to continue using their athleticism to provide obstacles for Azubuike and Lawson getting to the basket and getting rebounds. Iowa State needs to compete on the glass in this one despite a disadvantage inside to have a chance.
Count on BookMaker.eu for all the latest odds you need to know along with a plethora of live betting and prop opportunities for this exciting Big-12 battle.
Key Players
Both Lindell Wigginton of the Cyclones and Udoka Azubuike of the Jayhawks have recently returned from injury to help boost their respective teams heading into the conference schedule.
Wigginton helps strengthen a strength. Horton-Tucker and Shayok both stepped up in his absence, but with yet another strong scorer outside, Iowa State has the luxury to rotate players out and still maintain a formidable backcourt. Wigginton is another strong scorer on a team that could certainly use the extra shooter in what could very well be a shootout.
As for Azubuike, he helps solidify a major frontcourt advantage against Iowa State. Teaming up with Lawson, Azubuike is the perfect compliment. Lawson is smaller, but more athletic. He’s a great rebounder and good shooter. Azubuike’s size, however, makes him a superior blocker and intimidating presence inside, helping fortify the defense under the basket.
Jayhawks vs. Cyclones Live Betting
Iowa State hosts Kansas in this conference showdown. While the Jayhawks are a top-5 team, look for the Cyclones to push them to the brink in Ames.
Ultimately, the Jayhawks are the much better team thanks to their frontcourt advantage and while Iowa State is undefeated at home to this point, they’ve struggled against their most difficult matchups, losing to Arizona and Iowa. Kansas is a better team than either of them.
Look for another big game form Azubuike who is back in the fold just in time and count on Vick, Dotson and an improving Grimes to be more than enough to cause trouble on the outside for Shayok, Wigginton and Horton-Tucker.
Be sure to check out all of the live betting at BookMaker.eu for this weekend’s college basketball action.
NCAA Basketball Score Prediction: Kansas 81, Iowa State 79
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