Iowa State will lick its wounds from a bitter 75-48 loss to No. 22 Oklahoma Wednesday, as the Cyclones try to upset Oklahoma State Saturday at Hilton Coliseum.

Senior Marcus Jefferson did not travel with the team to Oklahoma and was not at practice Thursday. ISU head coach Wayne Morgan said it is due to “personal issues,” and he is unsure if Jefferson will return for Saturday’s game.

“We haven’t been able to determine anything yet,” Morgan said. “We really haven’t.”

Oklahoma State [16-2, 6-1 Big 12] is No. 13 and has won six conference games in a row.

Morgan said the Cowboys are playing at an incredible level and may be considered the best team in the Big 12 Conference.

“Oklahoma State is very, very good,” Morgan said. “Right now with all things being considered and who they have played, they are playing better than anyone else.”

Tony Allen leads the Cowboys in scoring with 16.2 points per game and Baylor-transfer John Lucas averages 13.4 points per game.

“Lucas is playing very well, he’s really improved,” Morgan said. “Some people think he is the best point guard in the league, so we’ll see. He’s definitely having a better year than he did at Baylor.”

Senior Jackson Vroman said the game will be a “huge test” as the Cyclones try to remain above the .500 win percentage.

“We’ve got to stay above .500,” Vroman said. “Every win or loss is going to come into play — one win could make the difference of making the [NCAA] tournament or not.”

Another senior, Jake Sullivan, agreed.

“It’s a game that, if we want to go to the NCAA tournament, we need to win,” Sullivan said. “It’s important, it’s a game we have to have, no question.”

Morgan said the Cowboys play on both sides of the court.

“We’ve got a double whammy,” Morgan said. “We’ve got to worry about their defense and their offense. Usually their defense is tenacious and very good, this year might be their best.”

In the loss to Oklahoma, Vroman said the team lacked “toughness” and will need to be more tough mentally, even at home.

“We’ve got to work on our toughness,” Vroman said.

“It’s kind of a clich‚ from last year, but it’s true. That’s been our problem on the road, the mental toughness, playing through adversity and surviving other teams’ runs.”

The Cyclones are 13-5 overall and 4-3 in Big 12 conference play.