It just doesn’t get any bigger than this.

In the regular season, that is. Iowa State (23-4, 11-2) will take on Oklahoma State (22-3, 11-2) in a game that will, for all intents and purposes, decide the conference title.

The Cyclones are coming off an 89-77 win over Texas that bumped the Longhorns out of what had been a three-way tie for first place.

Oklahoma State, meanwhile, is also coming off an impressive win, as they dispatched Missouri on the road Monday.

Both teams close the season with winnable games, and ISU coach Larry Eustachy knows this is a huge game.

“This is for the conference championship. It’s just like the Texas game. I think both teams will win out after we play them, so it’s a game we’ll have to win if we are going to have a chance,” Eustachy said.

The Cyclones will be handicapped by the absence of Paul Shirley, who will be out at least two more weeks with a broken foot.

The depth of Iowa State, which has been an issue all year, is now even more of a question mark.

Martin Rancik looks to see his first extensive action since Jan. 2, when he was sidelined with a broken foot.

And Richard Evans, who was very solid in his only extended performance of the season against Colorado, could be the beneficiary of Shirley’s ill-timed injury.

“Richard Evans is the guy that deserves the opportunity,” Eustachy said. “We saw what he could do against Colorado.”

Rancik, meanwhile, is a different story. Eustachy said that they don’t necessarily need him to score, but contribute more in other areas.

“It’s very difficult to come back. There’s no way he can pick up where he left off. Rusty is the word,” Eustachy said. “I don’t want to disrupt any chemistry that we might have on this team right now.”

Marcus Fizer said the injury to Shirley changes the look of the team.

“It changes us a lot. Paul was a great asset to our team,” Fizer said. “It means that I might play more minutes, and maybe Richard Evans could come in and play significant minutes for us.”

Oklahoma State comes into the game led by Desmond Mason, a 6-foot-6 senior forward that averages 18.6 points per game for the season.

“He presents a real dilemma,” Eustachy said. “He’s a guy like Jaquay Walls, where if he’s on like that what we do doesn’t matter. We just have to make him take tough shots and hope for an off night.”

Fizer, coming off a 35-point performance against Texas, knows that Mason is going to be difficult to defend.

“Mason is a great player,” Fizer said. “He’s really expanded his game this season and he’s gotten a lot more determined. We both have our sights on the same goal now, and that’s winning the Big 12 title. But just like Iowa State isn’t Marcus Fizer, Oklahoma State isn’t Desmond Mason.”

The Cowboys, who finish the season at home against Colorado and Oklahoma, have three other players in double figures.

Brian Montonati is a solid post player who is shooting 57 percent from the field and averaging 12.7 points per game.

Glendon Alexander and Joe Adkins, meanwhile, are both shooting over 39 percent from behind the arc in conference play.

Another key to the Cowboys success is their experience. Of the eight players in OSU’s regular rotation, six are seniors, and only one is an underclassmen.

“They have been here before, so the road won’t bother them as much. We have a monumental task ahead of us in the last three games. If we pull this off I think you could call it a miracle,” Eustachy said.

The Cyclones finish with road games at Texas Tech and Baylor, and although the records may say otherwise, Eustachy feels the trip is dangerous.

“I know some people feel that it’s just going to be a cakewalk through Texas, but both of those teams have been coming on lately,” Eustachy said.

The doors open at 2 p.m. Saturday for the 2:30 p.m. festivities honoring Johnny Orr and Cyclone seniors Stevie Johnson and Michael Nurse.