The first-ranked matchups of the season are bound for Hilton Coliseum as No. 5 Iowa State will welcome No. 9 Kansas, then No. 3 Houston.
Iowa State has struggled to find competition at home this season, a partial reason for being undefeated in Ames.
The Cyclones have won 10 games by over 20 points on their home floor, the largest being a 64-point win over Alcorn State.
Close contests have been few and far between. A 66-62 win over Iowa on Dec. 11 was the first test at home. The Cyclones overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat their Cy-Hawk rival, aided by a powerful introductory message from football coach Jimmy Rogers.
A 3-point win over Baylor on Feb. 7 was Iowa State’s closest contest at home this season. The Cyclones survived a late rally from the Bears to remain undefeated at home.
“We got two big ones,” junior forward Milan Momcilovic said. “Obviously, two top 10 matchups coming. So, I think Hilton should be a fun one; it should be electric in there.”
Kansas will be the first team of the homestand, tipping off at noon Saturday on ABC, followed by the Cougars at 8 p.m. Monday on ESPN.
No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks (19-5, 9-2 Big 12)
Currently on an eight-game winning streak, the Jayhawks have found their identity as one of their best teams in the nation, especially after defeating No. 1 Arizona.
While Kansas is 11-1 at Allen Fieldhouse, this contest between Big 12 foes will be played at Hilton Coliseum, an environment consistently ranked among the top 10 in college basketball.
On the road this season, Kansas has dropped three games: North Carolina, UCF and West Virginia.
The environment can be the difference, but the nation’s best player, when he plays, can also be a factor.
Freshman guard Darryn Peterson was projected as the No. 1 draft pick in ESPN’s last NBA mock draft by Jeremy Woo.
Peterson is averaging 20.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in only 13 games this season. Peterson’s health may be the reason that an NBA franchise might hesitate to pull the trigger at No. 1 in the upcoming draft.
Kansas did just beat No. 1 Arizona without Peterson, proving that this Kansas team can compete.
Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga anchors the defense and leads all Power 4 players in blocks.
“[Bidunga’s] terrific … his versatility to defend on the perimeter is much improved,” Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “His ability to read and make plays at the rim is tremendous.”
2.1 blocks per game from Bidunga can completely halt an offense, especially a Cyclone offense that relies on paint touches to open scoring from all angles.
No. 3 Houston Cougars (22-2, 10-1 Big 12)
After their first top 10 matchup of the year, the Cyclones will have to recover quickly as the Cougars will pull into town shortly after the Jayhawks depart.
Houston sits tied atop the Big 12 standings with Arizona, with its one loss coming from a road contest at current No. 16 Texas Tech.
Guards Kingston Flemings and Emanuel Sharp both score about 16 points per contest for the Cougars.
Houston may come into its contest in Ames a little more rested, as it will have a struggling Kansas State team.
“Man, I can’t wait,” freshman guard Jamarion Batemon said. “We haven’t had that opportunity. So you’re obviously looking forward to it. We haven’t played a top 10 team here yet.”
