KANSAS CITY, Missouri — No. 4 Iowa State will play No. 8 TCU in the semifinal round of the Big 12 Championship. The game is slated to start at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and can be seen on ESPN2.

Here are some predictions from Iowa State Daily staff members on how the game will end up.

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Luke Manderfeld, Sports Editor

Winner: Iowa State

Score: 84-74

I was wrong Thursday about Iowa State losing to Oklahoma State. I should know better to bet against the great Ryan Young. 

But this time, I’m pretty confident that the Cyclones will emerge victorious. It looked like Iowa State was going to have a rematch against Kansas on its hands, but the Horned Frogs won in resilient fashion. 

Iowa State is on a roll right now, and I don’t think many teams, especially TCU,a and stop its roll. Plus, the Cyclones know a thing or two about resiliency. 

Ryan Young, Assistant Sports Editor

Winner: Iowa State

Score: 89-76

Entering the week, I thought that Iowa State would fall in the semifinal round of the tournament.

But that was assuming they would be playing No. 1 Kansas. 

Now, after TCU upset the Jayhawks on Thursday, the top-half of the tournament bracket is wide open. Iowa State just has to get past the Horned Frogs — who have several major flaws and only won six conference games this season — to make it to the championship game. 

Now, I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. And yeah, the Horned Frogs are likely on cloud nine right now after upsetting the nation’s top team and winning its second straight game in the tournament. 

But that run ends on Friday. Iowa State takes this one, and will be in its third championship game in four years.

Ben Visser, Assistant Sports Editor

Winner: Iowa State

Score: 77-72

Iowa State is playing its best basketball of the season at the right time. Since upsetting Kansas at Allen Field House on Feb. 4, the Cyclones have only dropped two games.

Iowa State will keep that momentum rolling against TCU. These two teams split their games during the regular season, but when Iowa State lost, Solomon Young wasn’t starting yet for the Cyclones.

He’ll be a key against TCU and its center Vladimir Brodziansky. TCU has a lot to play for as a bubble team, so it’ll give Iowa State its best shot, but in the end the Cyclones are playing like a top team in the country, and that won’t stop this game.

Emily Barske, Editor-in-Chief

Winner: Iowa State

Score: 87-74

After the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship, it’s clear that we’re in March. Instead of facing Kansas in the semifinals, Iowa State will take on TCU, which knocked off the No. 1 Jayhawks.

Iowa State will continue rolling from their play in the quarterfinals — but TCU can’t be counted out clearly. The Cyclones will need the starters and the bench involved throughout the game, on the fast break and from downtown.

It’s the Big 12 — the game isn’t a given — but Iowa State will move on to the championship.