If you dislike top-20 matches, lots of ball movement and even more points, stay away from the TV when No. 20 Iowa State takes on No. 18 Arkansas.

According to Kenpom Ratings, Iowa State (4-1, 0-0 Big 12) and Arkansas (6-0, 0-0 SEC) are two of the top 20 most efficient offenses in the nation, ranking 17th and 19th, respectively, in points scored per 100 possessions. With both offenses operating at some of the fastest paces in the nation, a lot of points are finding their way to the scoreboard.

While the Cyclones have taken on their fair share of powerful offenses, Arkansas presents one of the most potent in recent memory, averaging 90.0 points and 8.8 three-pointers per game.

“It’s a very talented team, very athletic team,” said Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. “They play their system, ‘the fastest 40 minutes in basketball’ and [coach Mike Anderson] has done a terrific job of getting some really good players in there that fit that system well.”

For Iowa State, that means stopping an attack led by Michael Qualls, a 6-foot 6-inch do-it-all guard who is averaging 15.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, as well as a post attack led by forward Bobby Portis, who is shooting 52.2 percent this season and averaging 14.5 points and 6.2 rebounds.

It doesn’t get much easier to defend moving down the depth chart with nearly all players shooting the ball extremely well this season. If the Cyclones want to get out ahead of the Razorbacks, they know they will have to control the tempo starting on the defensive end, much like they did against Lamar.

“Once we started getting stops and getting it off the glass, I think that was key to us getting out and running and pushing the tempo,” said forward Georges Niang. “That’s where we really succeed is when we’re playing fast.”

The Cyclones struggled mightily with that aspect of the game beginning in Kansas City in the championship game of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic against Maryland. Shots were not falling, spacing and ball movement was nearly a forgotten art, and the team looked frustrated for the first time all season.

But midway through the first half against Lamar, something switched and the team never looked back. The team shot a red-hot 9-for-14 from the three-point line and 69 percent from the field in the second half.

But hot shooting is the name of the game for Arkansas. The Razorbacks are ranked fourth nationally in three-point percentage, setting up for what could be a long-range battle in Hilton Coliseum.

“They’re shooting the heck out of the ball,” Hoiberg said. “All their guys are playing into their role right now. It’s a team playing with a ton of confidence, and we are going to have to play well to win.”

For a game that didn’t turn too many heads when the non-conference schedule was announced, the top-20 matchup in Hilton is starting to stir an excited fan base that has come out in droves to watch the Cyclones battle ranked opponents.

Iowa State is 10-2 in Hilton against its last 12 ranked opponents and has won its last four games against ranked non-conference opponents. In what may be the team’s last chance to grab a win over a ranked non-conference opponent, there is no questioning the stakes. 

“It should be nuts,” Niang said. “Whenever we have a pretty good team come in here, the fans get crazy and we are really excited to get back and play a BCS school and show what we can do.”