Through 22 games in the 2017-18 season, the Iowa State men’s basketball team has had more downs than ups.

And with just eight games remaining in the regular season, the Cyclones are in a position the program hasn’t been used to for the past six years.

They have nothing to lose.

That’s why, at 8 p.m. this Wednesday when Iowa State (12-10, 3-7 Big 12) travels to Lubbock, Texas, to play Texas Tech (19-4, 7-3 Big 12), the game means something different.

As coach Steve Prohm confirmed in his weekly press conference on Monday, starting point guard Nick Weiler-Babb will be out for his third-straight game. Additionally, senior forward Hans Brase, who has played just eight total minutes in the last two games, will miss the game at Texas Tech as he recovers from persistent injuries.

This means Iowa State will be down to eight healthy, eligible players when it takes on the Red Raiders, who are tied for first in the Big 12 as the final stretch of the regular season approaches.

“Tech is very good,” Prohm said. “We played very well against them here, but they haven’t lost at home.”

As Prohm alluded to, Iowa State knocked off Texas Tech, 70-52, when the two teams met up in Ames.

But Texas Tech hasn’t lost any of its four games since then, and the Red Raiders are 14-0 in United Supermarkets Arena this season.

In the first matchup, five Cyclones scored in double figures and the Red Raiders were held to their lowest point total of the season.

But Weiler-Babb’s knee injury resurfaced soon after, and now the Cyclones are faced with a rematch against a hungry Texas Tech squad without Weiler-Babb and his leadership.

That has left point guard duties to Lindell Wigginton and Donovan Jackson, with mixed results.

“I thought [against] West Virginia [Wigginton] was terrific,” Prohm said. “I thought in the Baylor game, at times he showed great moments.”

Prohm said Wigginton got too sped up at times in the second half against Baylor, and didn’t react well enough to Baylor’s ball screen defense.

In his two games at point guard while Weiler-Babb has been out, Wigginton is averaging 18 points, 6.5 assists and two rebounds per game. He had a career-high eight dimes in the loss at Baylor, but he shot just 4-of-14 (28.6 percent) from the floor.

“I’m just trying to lead the team while Nick’s out, and get my teammates involved,” Wigginton said.

The problem for Wigginton and for Iowa State is that Wigginton hasn’t been the sole point guard in years.

At Oak Hill Academy last year, Wigginton was not the primary ball handler. He typically played off the ball and his role was to score, not necessarily to distribute.

Wigginton is learning on the job. He has the natural talent to play point guard, but he doesn’t have the same level of experience as Weiler-Babb (who played point guard throughout high school) or some of Iowa State’s point guards in the past.

And with Texas Tech next up on the schedule, Wigginton’s ability as a point guard will be tested again.

The Red Raiders play a much slower pace than the Cyclones would like to play, and they have the third-best defense in the nation according to KenPom. Only one team—Seton Hall back on Nov. 30—has scored more than 75 points in regulation against Texas Tech this season. Wigginton will have his hands full running the Iowa State offense.

“[The mindset] has to change a lot,” Wigginton said. “You gotta make your teammates happy and you’ve got to put them in the right positions to score the ball. I also gotta get going and try to score the ball, too.”