Wesley Johnson loves watching the Kansas Jayhawks.

He’ll have the best seat in the house on Wednesday, when the Cyclones travel to Lawrence to take on the No. 2 Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse.

“It’s very fun watching them,” Johnson said. “It’s like a once -in-a-lifetime opportunity for people to get to play them, and we’re one of those teams – so we’ve just got to go out there and play. Don’t let the ‘wowness’ of it get overwhelming.”

Some of that star-stricken view comes from watching the undefeated Jayhawks rise to No. 2 in the nation behind a defense that ranks third in steals and second in field goal percentage. Kansas averages 10.7 steals per game and is shooting 51.6 percent from the field.

“The more you’re watching, the more you appreciate just how good they are, just how complete they are, and how balanced they are,” said Cyclone coach Greg McDermott. “There’s six or seven guys on that team that could get 20 points on any given night.”

And most of them will be in the Jayhawks’ starting lineup. Senior forward Darnell Jackson is averaging 12.3 points per game, junior Mario Chalmers averages 12.5, junior Brandon Rush has chipped in with 11.8 and sophomore Darrell Arthur has led the group with 13.2.

“They’re all dangerous,” said senior forward Rahshon Clark. “You can’t just pick one person.”

Just as dangerous is Allen Fieldhouse, which hosted Iowa State last season during the Jayhawk’s 89-52 win over Iowa State, just over a month after Clark and his teammates took them to overtime before falling.

“You have to somehow, in Allen Fieldhouse, figure out how to control the tempo of the game,” McDermott said. “We have no chance to beat them 90-88. Could we beat them 70-68? Possibly. If it turns into a track meet, with the advantage they have on their home floor and the energy that they get from that building, then we’re asking for trouble.”

The Cyclones will try to generate some energy from a two-game winning streak that saw them take home Big 12 wins against Missouri and Oklahoma State. Both teams, known for their defensive prowess, forced 17 and 16 turnovers, respectively, from the Cyclones. Johnson averaged 22.0 points during the run.

“If you had to pick two teams to play right before Kansas, those would probably be two pretty good teams because their pressure is something that you’re going to see the entire game, and you have to be tough with the ball,” McDermott said.

The Cyclones will have to be even tougher when they meet the Jayhawks in person, when freshman Craig Brackins will get his first crack at the No. 2 team.

“I look at it like a challenge, and every time I see them playing I’m looking at my calendar like, ‘yeah, I can’t wait to get a chance at them,'” Brackins said. “I can’t wait, honestly.”

Key matchup to watch:

Rahshon Clark and Brandon Rush

Clark, a 6-foot-6-inch, 210-pound senior, will have the daunting task of matching up with one of the nation’s top scorers. Clark, who had two steals and 10 points in the Cyclones’ win over Oklahoma State on Saturday, now ranks in Iowa State’s career top 10 in 3-pointers, blocks and steals.

Rush, a 6-foot-6-inch, 210-pound junior, is third in scoring for the Jayhawks, averaging 11.8 points per game. The Kansas City native ranks eighth all-time in 3-pointers for Kansas, with 152. He also averages 1.9 assists per game.