LOUISVILLE, Ky. — He wasn’t the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He wasn’t on the All-Big 12 Defensive Team.

But guard Chris Babb is widely considered by teammates, coaches and fans as the best defender for the ISU men’s basketball team. His effort in guarding First Team All-Big East guard Jeremy Lamb provided the Cyclones with a spark they needed to upend the defending national champions Thursday night.

“He never gets enough credit, Chris Babb, for all he does for us,” said coach Fred Hoiberg. “Chris Babb has gone out all year long … and he’s prepared for this. He’s played against the best players in the country by playing in the Big 12, and now he comes out and shows it on the biggest stage.”

Lamb finished with 19 points on the night, but only managed one field goal and four free throws — six points — with Babb on the floor guarding him.

Babb said he had a goal of just keeping Lamb in check due to his quick shot release and high scoring output over the course of the season. Getting him out of his comfort zone, Babb said, was the key.

“He’s another great scorer in the NCAA [and] I just wanted to limit his shots,” Babb said. “I just wanted to try and make him uncomfortable. I have about 30 pounds on him, so I wanted to use that to my advantage and make him take tough shots.

“I think he was shooting a little off balance; he didn’t really seem comfortable on offense, and that’s what I was trying to do.”

Teammates have lauded Babb’s defensive efforts all season, and forward Royce White gave the junior transfer from Penn State more credit following the Cyclones’ 77-64 win against Connecticut.

White reiterated that he believed Babb should’ve been recognized by the Big 12 for his efforts defensively all season, but nonetheless was proud of his teammate for what he did against a player considered one of the best in the country.

“He was fantastic,” White said of Babb. “It was kind of sad for me that he didn’t win defensive player of the year in the Big 12. And guarding a guy who scores 17 a game in the Big East, his defense speaks for itself right now.”

With 7:03 remaining in the first half Thursday night, Iowa State found itself up 38-16, and Babb had held Lamb scoreless. But after picking up his second foul, Babb was forced to the bench.

In the remaining seven minutes of the half, the Cyclones only scored four points and allowed the Huskies to pull within 10 points at 42-32. During that stretch, Lamb put eight points on the board, and Babb said he thought reserve guard Bubu Palo did an admirable job defending Lamb in his absence.

“We knew he was going to make shots; he’s a scorer, he’s one of the top players in the NCAA,” Babb said. “We just wanted to limit those shots. When I got in foul trouble, I knew that Bubu was going to do a great job on him.”

When he did return to the game, however, Babb resumed making Lamb  frustrated.

And though he would have to exit the game for a stretch after picking up a third foul midway through the second half — a span of game time that resulted in a flurry of Lamb scoring and UConn pulling to within six points at 58-52 with 8:26 left — Babb came back and resumed making the sophomore frustrated.

That frustration is something Babb said fuels him whenever he’s on the court and especially when he’s guarding a team’s best player.

“It definitely [fueled me],” Babb said of making Lamb frustrated. “I saw him kind of get frustrated. He missed a couple shots, and he thought I was fouling him. He started complaining to the refs and I knew … I just wanted to make it tough for him.”

Babb then added with a grin:

“I did my best.”