No. 3 Cyclones Visit Iowa

IOWA GAME NOTES | ISU GAME NOTES

Four years ago, third-ranked Iowa played host to rival Iowa State. A 105-77 Hawkeye win against the unrated visitors was fueled by Luka Garza's 34 points.

The Cyclones changed head coaches after that season, when they were 2-22 overall and 0-18 in the Big 12. They've made great strides since then.

ISU arrives at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Thursday night as the country's No. 3 team. Unlike four years ago, the Hawkeyes are unranked.

"It's a rivalry game. Both teams are going to come out wanting to kill the other team," Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey said. "Even though it's another game on the schedule, you can't take away that there's a little bit more to it than just a game."

That view is shared by the fans.

"This game, Kansas, I think those are the two biggest game that people on campus talk about," ISU forward Milan Momcilovic said.

The Cyclones will be favored Thursday, but rivalries can produce unlikely outcomes. Odds of that occurring increase when the underdog is at home. On top of that, Iowa State is playing its first true road game this season.

It's happening in a facility where attendance has sagged. Actual crowds this season have been embarrassingly bad. Plenty of seats remained for Thursday's game as of Tuesday afternoon.

With or without a decided home-court advantage, the Hawkeyes face a difficult task. ISU (7-1) owns a win against No. 6 Marquette, and it's lone setback was by two points to second-ranked Auburn.

"It's a great opportunity for us," Iowa's Owen Freeman said. "The coaches are going to get us right. We're looking forward to it."

Keshon Gilbert leads the Cyclones in scoring (17.4 PPG) and assists (5.5 APG). Curtis Jones (16.3), Momcilovic (12.5 PPG), Dishon Jackson (11.4) and Joshua Jefferson (10.4) also average double figures in scoring. Lipsey leads them in steals and is second in assists.

ISU ranks 8th nationally with 87.8 points per outing, while the Hawkeyes sit 19th (86.1). The Cyclones are 44th in scoring defense, and Iowa is 238.

Both teams value possessions. Iowa State is fourth in the country in turnover margin, and the Hawkeyes are No. 8. The visitors are 90th in rebounding margin, while Iowa is 326th, last among Big Ten teams.

Analytics love the Cyclones. They're sixth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and 10th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Top-ranked Tennessee is the only other team in the country ranking in the Top 10 of both metrics. Iowa is 34th in adjusted offense and 81st in adjusted defense.

The Hawkeyes (7-2) split a pair of Big Ten games last week. They beat Northwestern by a point and lost at Michigan by two points.

Freeman is their leading scorer (16.8 PPG) and rebounder (7.0 RPG). Payton Sandfort (16.4), Josh Dix (13.4) and Pryce Sandfort (10.0) are scoring in double figures, too. Point guards Brock Harding and Drew Thelwell are combining for 17.5 points and 9.1 assists per game against just 2.9 turnovers.

"You want to act like it's another game, but growing up in the state, it's not just another game. I know this means a lot to a lot of people," said Payton Sandfort, who's from Waukee. "So, we take a lot of pride in that, but they will, too. They'll be ready to go. They've got a really good program."

Iowa won this game by 19 points the last time it was played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Cyclones have lost their previous four games there, the last win being in 2014.

"If you're going to win a game on the road, you have to have tremendous focus," Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger said. "You've got to keep your emotions in check. You've got to play one possession at a time. You've got to win in the margins.

"You've got to do the job on the glass, with the turnovers. Things we value all the time. And you've got to them for 40 minutes. That's our aim."