Big 12 play started tough for Iowa State men’s basketball, dropping its first conference game 74-65 to the Kansas State Wildcats on Tuesday.

Iowa State, one game into its conference schedule, emphasized the need to find answers to the biggest issues the 1-3 Cyclones face.

As the team tries to regroup and find answers to get back in the win column, here comes No. 8 West Virginia.

Iowa State Head Coach Steve Prohm told the media Thursday that like most seasons, the Mountaineers will present a physical and intense presence for the young Cyclones. Prohm said the number one priority come Friday night will be to match West Virginia’s physical toughness 15 feet and in, which is an area of the floor where Iowa State has been outplayed in its first four matchups.

In each of their first four games, the Cyclones’ opponents have gone to the free throw line more than them and have out rebounded the Cyclones in each game.

On Tuesday, Prohm said Kansas State won the game at the free throw line, going 26-29 at the charity stripe while the Cyclones went 11-16.

And with the Mountaineers being known for their size advantage and reputation of creating pressure on the perimeter, breaking the pressure and getting to the rim will be big for Prohm and his team. 

“That’s the frustrating thing — we’re not getting to the line a lot,” Prohm said. “We’ve got to attack. We’ve got to be aggressive.”

With Iowa State still trying to piece all of the new faces together, Prohm said if Iowa State doesn’t get overwhelmed by the pressure and makes good decisions, the game should stay close.

On Friday, it’s a simple message from Prohm to his group: break the pressure, get to basket, draw fouls, control the glass. If Iowa State does that, it might be able to pick up a top-10 win on its early season resume.

Iowa State (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) will face off against No. 8 West Virginia (6-1) at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.