Everything’s bigger in Texas, right?

Well, maybe not. While the Cyclones are out of the race for the Big 12 title and will likely not have their seed in the NCAA Tournament (around 4 or 5 in most bracketology predictions), Iowa State isn’t hyping up the importance of Saturday’s matchup with the Texas Longhorns. 

Coming off of a win over Oklahoma on Tuesday night — The Cyclones’ first victory in their last three home games — the unfriendly confines of the Frank Erwin Center await. Road games against Texas have been kryptonite for Iowa State in recent years, as the Longhorns have won 14 of the 16 matchups in Austin, Texas, between the two teams. 

Senior guard Nick Weiler-Babb — 0-2 in his trips to Austin so far — said the Cyclones aren’t sweating it. 

“Can’t really dwell on the past too much,” Weiler-Babb said. “It’s a tough place to play.

“They’re always athletic, they give us problems — Jaxson Hayes is just such an athlete down there. They’re a good team, good teams play good at home.”

The teams’ first meeting was tightly fought, with Iowa State squeaking out a 65-60 victory at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 2. Coach Steve Prohm praised the Cyclones’ defense in the win, adding that the defensive side of the ball will be just as crucial to completing the season sweep over the Longhorns. 

Texas will be trying to get an embarrassing loss to Baylor out of its system against the Cyclones. The Longhorns led Baylor by 19 at one point Wednesday night, only to lose 84-83 and fall to 15-13 on the year. Without a late-season winning streak, the NCAA hopes for coach Shaka Smart and co. do not look promising. 

Still, Iowa State is preparing to take Texas’s best shot. Prohm said the Cyclones needed to carry over their second-half performance against Oklahoma and defend the Longhorns the same way

“I thought defensively, our effort was pretty good [against Oklahoma],” Prohm said. “I thought our defense won that game that night.”

The Longhorns are likely to be without an important piece of their offense, as guard Kerwin Roach II is still serving an indefinite suspension for a “violation of team rules,” according to Smart.

Roach II is the Longhorns’ leading scorer at 15 points per game, and he scored 19 in the first meeting with Iowa State. Missing his scoring, Texas might attempt to slow the game down and make the Cyclones defend for the full 30 second shot clock.

The Longhorns will also likely crash the boards with forwards Jaxson Hayes and Jericho Sims and center Dylan Osetkowski. Iowa State’s rebounding, still an issue despite a better performance Tuesday against the Sooners, will be critical to the team’s ability to push the ball in transition against a tough Texas defense. 

It’s not the worse matchup for the Cyclones, but it’s one that could make them sweat. 

With not a lot on the line, the Cyclones are just playing it one game at a time, according to freshman guard Tyrese Haliburton. 

“I think we out-toughed Oklahoma,” Haliburton said. “Hopefully we can build on that these next couple games.

“There might be pressure from the media and people out there, but we don’t really feel any, the guys on the court really don’t feel any.”