Only two teams have beaten No. 1 Oklahoma this season: Kansas and Iowa State. With the Cyclones just topping the Sooners on Monday, Iowa State fans and students are pumped for their match up with fellow ranked Big 12 foe, Kansas.
The Jayhawks have struggled since knocking off Oklahoma, but a big time road matchup against the Cyclones may be just what the team needs after a few letdowns.
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HOW THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Kansas has a great matchup in this game, at least offensively, as they face an Iowa State defense that’s allowing 74.4 PPG.
The Cyclones beat their opposition on the strength of their offense. The team is a high-powered, fast-paced team, but Kansas can more than keep up.
The Jayhawks check in as the No. 11 best offense in the sport with 84.8 PPG and are an excellent shooting team, particularly from the perimeter.
With Wayne Selden Jr., Frank Mason and Devonte’ Graham in the backcourt, Kansas should be able to handle Morris and company. Meanwhile, up front while few can hang with Georges Niang, Perry Ellis is one of those few.
Kansas’s latest struggles do provide some concern, but Iowa State’s defensive issues help alleviate some of that.
Iowa State has failed to cover the spread in two of its last three games at home and the have allowed worse offenses like Baylor and Texas to score 94 points each as recently as a couple weeks ago.
HOW THE IOWA STATE CYCLONES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Simply put: Georges Niang. The star forward leads the Cyclones with 19.7 PPG and is shooting 53.8 percent from the floor while sinking 41 percent of his shots from behind the arc. The senior is also amongst the team leaders in rebounds with 6.4 per game, assists with 56 and blocks with 13.
Joining Niang inside the paint is fellow forward Jameel McKay whose 58.5 percent shooting mark makes him another tough player for the Jayhawks to handle. McKay is the leader in rebounds and blocks for the Cyclones, pulling down an average of 9.2 boards per game while recording a total of 28 blocks.
As a team, the Cyclones rank No. 6 in college hoops with a 50.1 percent shooting mark and the accuracy extends to the guard position as well. Monte Morris leads the team out of the backcourt with 15 PPG and is one of four active players with at least 12.9 PPG.
Overall, the Cyclones are the sixth best offense in college basketball with 85 PPG and will match up on Monday with another strong offense, but a defense that—while solid—is unlikely to contain Iowa State, particularly after allowing Oklahoma State to score 86.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
There’s reason for concern for both teams, but the Cyclones seem to have overcome their hiccups while the Jayhawks have covered the spread only once since the beginning of the New Year.
In the rival’s most recent meeting in the big 12 Tournament, the Cyclones recorded the upset of the Jayhawks winning 70-66 as 2.5-point underdogs thanks in part to 19-points from Niang and additional solid performances from McKay, Morris and Abdel Nader - each are still amongst the team’s starters.
For those looking to play the total, this should be a high scoring game. Kansas and Iowa State are each in the top-11 in scoring and the Cyclones’ offense has been rather consistent. Of course, so has their defense, though not in a good way.
Kansas hasn’t topped 70 points in four straight games, but it’s got an excellent matchup to get back in a groove on offense. Besides, before that slump they notched over 100 in back-to-back contests.
Iowa State 86, Kansas 83
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