More than just several inches of snow will have descended on Ames come Jan. 6.

The Big 12 regular season returns to Hilton Coliseum six days before students return to their classrooms, as No. 17 Iowa State (10-2, 0-0 Big 12) opens its conference schedule against Oklahoma State (11-2, 0-0 Big 12).

The Cyclones’ prelude to a conference title run drew to an unceremonious close in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Jan. 3, when Iowa State absorbed its second losing blow of the season, this one administered by the punishing fist of a bruising South Carolina squad.

“It was terrible,” said senior Dustin Hogue. “We could not afford to drop one, and that was just a game that we just let slip out of our hands. We did not execute. We did not really play together. We had a lot of selfish tendencies.”

While Hogue’s case that Iowa State simply needs to “play [its] brand of basketball” may come off as a generic solution that does not adequately address team concerns, it is a statement that lines up with Iowa State’s numbers through the first 12 games of the season.

Statistical patterns have emerged which suggest that deviations from the team’s chosen offensive identity of playing fast, sharing the ball and running up point totals are the primary culprits in Iowa State’s two losing efforts thus far in non-conference play.

The Cyclones currently stand second in the nation in assists per game, averaging 18.9 per contest. In Iowa State’s two defeats at the hands of No. 11 Maryland and South Carolina, the team has mustered only eight assists per game, while averaging 10 turnovers.

The lack of generosity has left the Cyclones prone to long dry spells from the field, aching for a drought quenching splash of nylon that occasionally takes several minutes to find.

Iowa State was plagued by more than five scoreless minutes to start the second half versus Maryland, and the team fell behind 15-4 against South Carolina less than five minutes into its most recent contest.

Hogue said the damaging stretches of play are born of a reversion to a one-on-one approach by Cyclones desperate to create momentum.

ISU coach Fred Hoiberg agreed, saying that during those offensive lulls Iowa State has failed to achieve consistency implementing and executing the tenets of its scheme.

“We may have gotten a little too comfortable,” said ISU coach Fred Hoiberg. “We had won I think our previous seven [games] by an average of 22 or 24 points per game, and we just did not go out there with the mentality we needed against a very physical team.”

The absence of focus to which Hoiberg alluded manifested itself in shooting woes that mirrored the Maryland loss back in November. Iowa State shot 29.7 percent from the field versus the Terrapins, including 22.2 percent from deep.

While Iowa State’s overall field goal numbers rose minimally versus South Carolina to 35.1 percent, the Cyclones shot a dreadful 1-for-18 from behind the arc versus the Gamecocks.

The end results equated to an output of 61.5 points per loss, roughly 20 points fewer than Iowa State’s 82.4 season average, which is the 14th best mark in the nation.

“It was a combination of a lot of things, but I would say when you shoot that bad, especially with the way we play, you cannot really expect to win too many games,” said junior Georges Niang, who contributed only 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting against South Carolina.

“[It] was definitely a wake-up call that we cannot just walk into places thinking we are just going to roll over teams.”

If that message has pierced through the noise and the hype surrounding Iowa State and reached the Cyclones ears, it may have done so just in time, as they face another physical, defensive test against Oklahoma State to open Big 12 play.

The Cowboys are surrendering a mere 58.3 points per game and generate 9.5 steals per contest.

The contrasting styles of play between the Cyclones and the Cowboys have produced similar results, as the two teams have not only suffered two losses a piece, but have been dealt those defeats by the same opponents, Maryland and South Carolina.

Oklahoma State also boasts a skilled forward in senior leader Le’Bryan Nash, whose position and production levels of more than 17 points and six rebounds per game mirror closely the numbers of Niang.

Hoiberg said that the commonalities in talent and results between not only Iowa State and Oklahoma State, but among all Big 12 teams, should produce a parity that will keep the Cyclones on their toes and fans on the edge of their seats all season long.

“You are going to see a lot of close games,” Hoiberg said. “A lot of games are going to come down to who executes the best in the last two minutes and hopefully we will do a good job of that.”

Tip off for the matchup between Iowa State and Oklahoma State is scheduled for 8 p.m.