AMES – Five-seed Iowa State faces fourth-seed Baylor when it opens play Thursday at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
The Matchup: Iowa State (20-11, 9-9 Big 12) vs. Baylor (19-12, 10-8 Big 12)
Where: Kansas City, Mo. – Sprint Center (18,972)
When: Thursday, March 14, 11:30 a.m. (CST)
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/TuneIn Radio
Talent: John Walters (PxP), Eric Heft (Analyst)
TV: ESPN2
Talent: Bob Wischusen (PxP), Fran Fraschilla (Analyst); Holly Rowe (reporter)
Webcast: WatchESPN
Sirius/XM/Internet: 135/199/953 (internet)
Live Stats: Cyclonestats.com
WORTH NOTING
1. Four Cyclones were recognized Sunday when the Big 12 announced its postseason awards: Marial Shayok (All-Big 12 First Team; All-Newcomer Team); Lindell Wigginton (Sixth Man Award; All-Big 12 Honorable Mention); Talen Horton-Tucker (All-Freshman Team; All-Big 12 Honorable Mention); Nick Weiler-Babb (All-Big 12 Honorable Mention).
2. Wigginton is averaging 16.7 points the last three games…he is averaging nine trips to the line per game during that stretch…he has hit a 3-pointer in 19 consecutive games, the eighth-longest streak in school history and a career-best for him…he is the only player in school history with multiple streaks of 18 games.
3. ISU ranks 18th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.41)…the Cyclones have ranked in the top-25 nationally in three of the four seasons under Prohm.
4. Over his last four games, Shayok is shooting 55 percent from the field and 52.6 percent behind the arc.
5. ISU is 10-1 when making 10 or more three-pointers.
LAST TIME OUT: CYCLONES FALL SHORT IN HOME FINALE
• Iowa State battled to the end but fell short against No. 8 Texas Tech Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum…the Cyclones held a two-point halftime lead but ended up falling, 80-73, thanks to 31 points from Jarrett Culver and 11-of-26 shooting from long range for the Red Raiders.
• ISU was paced by 17 points each from Shayok and Wigginton…Jacobson added 15 points and Horton-Tucker, coming off the bench for the first time in his career (Senior Day), scored 13.
• ISU was just 17-for-26 at the line, while Texas Tech finished 13-for-13.
IOWA STATE-BAYLOR SERIES NOTES
• Iowa State and Baylor are meeting for the 38th time…ISU holds a 19-18 lead in the all-time series, including 3-1 in games played in Kansas City…the last meeting was in the 2014 Championships game, which ISU won 74-65.
• Baylor is one of four Big 12 teams that ISU owns a series lead against (TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia).
• Iowa State went 0-2 against the Bears in the regular season, losing the two games by a combined seven points…Shayok averaged 19.5 points and shot 53.1 percent from the field against the Bears…Wigginton was the only other Cyclone to average double figures in the two games (10.5)…ISU was outrebounded 77-54 in the two games.
• ISU head coach Steve Prohm is 2-6 against Scott Drew and Baylor.
• ISU is 382-577 against teams currently in the Big 12 Conference.
ISU CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
• The Cyclones are the No. 5 seed in this year’s championship…this is the third time ISU has been the 5-seed, owning a 2-2 record in those games…2005 and 2013 were the other seasons that ISU was the 5-seed.
• The Cyclones have won the tournament the last two times they played in the 4-seed vs. 5-seed game (2014, 2017).
• Steve Prohm is 3-2 coaching in the Big 12 Championship…he is one of eight coaches (two active) that has won a Big 12 Tournament title.
• Iowa State has won nine of its last 11 games at the championship, winning the title in three of the last five seasons…last season, ISU lost to Texas in the first round.
• ISU is 17-18 in the Big 12 Championships, winning the tournament four times (2000, 2014, 2015, 2017).
• ISU is 75-90 all-time in conference championships with six league tournament championships (1955-Big Seven; 1959-Big Eight; 1996-Big Eight; 2000-Big 12; 2014-Big 12; 2015-Big 12; 2017-Big 12).
• ISU has had an opening round bye in seven of the last eight seasons.
• This is Iowa State’s fifth meeting in the Big 12 Tournament with Baylor (ISU leads 3-1)…the last time the Cyclones and Baylor met at the tournament was in the 2014 Championship game, a 74-65 ISU win.
• ISU has won a game at the tournament in four of the last six seasons.
• ISU has had 21 players all-time make the conference all-tournament team, including six most outstanding players.
