Just as Iowa State is getting into the meat of Big 12 play — winning two straight games for just the second time in conference — it will take a detour through one of the worst Power Five conferences, according to the ratings percentage index. 

The Cyclones (13-6, 5-3 Big 12) will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to take on Vanderbilt (9-11, 3-5 SEC) on Saturday as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, where each team in the Big 12 and SEC is matched up against each other. 

The Big 12 has won all three of the challenges, dating back to the 2013-14 season. But the series also has timing — teams are in the flow of conference play in January — and competition issues. 

A couple of Big 12 coaches — West Virginia’s Bob Huggins and Kansas’ Bill Self — have been vocal against the Big 12/SEC Challenge this week, but Iowa State coach Steve Prohm was more reserved when speaking to the media Thursday.

When asked if he thought the Big 12 had anything to gain from the weekend contest, Prohm was hesitant.

“I understand how good Vanderbilt is,” Prohm said. “I understand how hard it is to go to Vanderbilt and play. That’s all I’m focusing on right now. Outside of that, I can’t answer any of those questions.” 

The Big 12/SEC Challenge spawned in the 2013-14

 season, when the Cyclones beat Auburn 99-70 in early December. In 2015-16, the date of the challenge was moved to late January, which fell in the middle of Big 12 play and took away a short bye-week for the Cyclones. 

Iowa State guard Naz Mitrou-Long, who has been a part of all four seasons of the series, said the date change has made a difference in terms of rest and scheduling. 

“I can’t lie, I’d take any off day that’s given. Rest is key — it’s just as important as everything else,” he said. “But with that being said, I’m not going to complain about having a game.” 

Mitrou-Long was sidelined with a hip injury for last year’s Big 12/SEC Challenge, when Iowa State fell to a No. 5-ranked Texas A&M team 72-62 on the road. This season will mark the second straight the Cyclones will have to play away from home. 

Prohm said the team would normally rest and recruit on an off-weekend and said the time off would be important, especially after winning two games by a margin of five points in the last week alone. 

The Cyclones will also face West Virginia on Tuesday, just three days after playing Vanderbilt. The Mountaineers beat Kansas, which owned an 18-game winning streak entering the matchup, on Tuesday and feature a hard-nosed, full-court press. 

“It’s big,” Prohm said about days off. “I’ve been in the league two years … you understand the rest and how you’ve got to treat your team right now.

“Unfortunately, we’ve played on the road the last two years. I’d like to be playing at home a lot more.” 

Prohm said Iowa State will do walkthroughs Sunday evening after watching film of Vanderbilt and West Virginia. On Monday, the Cyclones will have their only full practice in preparation for Tuesday’s game. 

The challenge does provide national exposure for the league, garnering primetime ESPN slots over the weekend. The timing of the challenge has been the controversy. 

Prohm said on the Big 12’s weekly teleconference Thursday morning that he believed the challenge should be moved to December, rather than impede on the middle of the Big 12 season. 

“I love the concept. I think it’s awesome,” Prohm said. “I think it’s great for our league for exposure. But I think all the coaches — once you get into conference play this late in the year, you kind of get locked into that.” 

And to add to the weird nature of Saturday’s game, Vanderbilt plays in an odd arena, Memorial Gymnasium, which features benches on the baselines rather than the sidelines. 

But weird or not, bad timing or not, the Cyclones will have to prepare and play like it’s any other game. 

“I can’t complain,” Mitrou-Long said. “It would be beneficial to have an off-day, but I love basketball, man.”