Christian Royston, Sports Editor
No. 6 Iowa State 78, No. 20 BYU 74
I’m starting to believe in Hilton Magic, and I think Wednesday night will further prove how impossible it is for opposing teams to win at Hilton. The Cyclones are looking to end the season perfect at home, while the Cougars are hitting their stride at the right time.
We are in for a marquee matchup between Iowa State and BYU, as Iowa State will have a chance at revenge after being embarrassed on the road in the two’s first meeting. I see this game being close, but after weeks of struggles, I also see Iowa State’s offense finally clicking again and overpowering BYU.
I will admit that BYU is a tough matchup for Iowa State, as defending the 3-ball has been an issue for the Cyclones in the past. The fast breaks paired with transition threes made the Cougars a nightmare in the first game and could now create issues early on.
This matchup will be entirely different than the first time around, as the Cyclones are a much better team than early in conference play. The newcomers are more comfortable, the defense is looking the best it’s ever looked and the closing ability and overall clutchness of the team has improved drastically over the course of the season.
That being said, I’m not going to overthink this matchup too much. Betting against the Cyclones at Hilton is a bad idea, so I’m going to side with them in the last home stand before tournament season rolls around.
No. 6 Iowa State 65, Kansas State 58
There is a good chance that this game will be a bloodbath. The first go around in Ames was eventful, with Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang nearly being tossed as scuffles unfolded on multiple occasions.
The heat from the last matchup also took some time to cool, as tempers continued to rise even after the two’s next games. I think we are in for a show, as Iowa State plans to finish the season strong and Kansas State plans to get revenge.
At the end of the day, Iowa State is just a better team than Kansas State. It is as simple as that.
Although Kansas State could pull a miraculous upset win to finish the regular season, since winning on the road in the Big 12 is not easy, I think Iowa State will lock in and get a much-needed momentum win right before the Big 12 Tournament.
Logan Shanks, Assistant Sports Editor
No. 6 Iowa State 72, No. 20 BYU 67
The stage is set for an all-time classic at Hilton. Senior night with Big 12 tournament seeding and a perfect record at home on the line for the Cyclones.
Much like how different Iowa State looked in its second time out against Oklahoma, I see the same happening for its revenge matchup with the Cougars. While the Cyclones haven’t been playing their best offensively recently, they have still found ways to win games no matter how cold of a stretch they go on.
But that doesn’t mean I think it will be a blowout for the Cyclones, as BYU has proven itself to have one of the most underrated offenses in the Big 12. We’ve seen that in recent games against Kansas, Baylor and a near 90-point outing against TCU.
However, if Iowa State sleepwalks at the start of this game the way it has recently, BYU will take advantage of that. The Cyclones will need to harken back to their ways of going up big early, maintaining that lead and overcoming any late punches by their opponent.
While BYU pulled off a major upset in its last outing on the road against Kansas, I don’t see that happening here. Playing at Hilton is different, and with so much on the line, Iowa State won’t let the Cougars spoil a historic season at home.
No. 6 Iowa State 68, Kansas State 62
With eight losses in its last 11 games and likely another one on the way in its matchup with Kansas, I don’t see the Wildcats handing a loss to Iowa State in its regular season finale.
Looking back at their last affair, the Cyclones had one of their most physically dominant games against the Wildcats, out-rebounding them 38-25. Iowa State also played a smart game and knew what it needed to do to get to the free-throw line, as seen by its 39 attempts.
This will be one of the more challenging road games the Cyclones have seen recently, as Kansas State has consistently kept it close in its home games. But Iowa State has shown its ability to win games late in its last three matchups, always finding a way to pull out a late run.
Kansas State has been on one of the worst skids in the Big 12, and if the Cyclones play to their strengths and play like they did last time, they will be heading into the Big 12 Tournament on a five-game winning streak.
