DALLAS – It’s beginning to look like these two teams were born to play each other.

The ISU men’s basketball team faces Oklahoma State on Thursday in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.

The Cyclones (16-13, 6-10 Big 12) won the only meeting between the two this season 68-52 at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 22.

The Cowboys (16-14, 6-10) have had a rough season, especially since coach Eddie Sutton took medical leave prompted by back pain, and then a DUI sent him to a medical center for alcohol abuse.

OSU freshman guard Byron Eaton said the off-court distractions are part of being a big-time basketball player, and they aren’t affecting the team’s ability to win games.

“I think every individual on our team goes through adversity at one point, and it just makes you stronger and shows signs of toughness,” Eaton said. “If you can overcome that, then you can overcome anything.”

Iowa State knows that it also has a lot to overcome – if the Cyclones want to make the NCAA tournament.

Winning the Big 12 tournament would be the only way the Cyclones would advance to the big dance.

Regardless, ISU guard Will Blalock said it’s important for Iowa State to play itself into a postseason tournament.

“We’re not here for a vacation; we’re trying to win four games in four days to get to the NCAA tournament,” Blalock said. “We need to finish this year out strong and see if we can get an NIT bid, if anything.”

The actual game Thursday may be a relief for both teams, which can step onto the court and play rather than revel in the near-turmoil circling both programs.

“We’re really looking forward to the game and the competition tomorrow,” ISU coach Wayne Morgan said. “I think we’ll have a great effort.”

The Cowboys are led by Mario Boggan and JamesOn Curry, averaging 14.6 and 13.5 points per game, respectively. Eaton chips in 7.7.

Iowa State held Curry and Eaton to a combined 20 points in their win earlier this season.

“They’re young, but they’re very talented,” Blalock said.

Eaton said Oklahoma State may be changing its game plan against the Cyclones, trying to force Iowa State to shoot more jumpers.

“We didn’t do a good job getting after them as well as we did the other guards,” he said. “We know that they are good guards and so they don’t like to shoot a lot of jumpers. [Thursday] night we will try to make them shoot a lot of jumpers.”

The Cyclones want the game to involve more than just the guards, however.

“When Rahshon Clark has a good game and . when our big guys have a good game [is when we play well],” Morgan said. “Our guards are pretty consistent, night in and night out.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the American Airlines Center in Dallas.