AMES – No. 11 Iowa State faces its first Big 12 road challenge of the season Saturday when it faces Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Center.
The Matchup: No. 11 Iowa State (13-1, 1-1 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma (11-3, 1-1 Big 12)
Where: Norman, Okla. – Lloyd Noble Center
When: Saturday, Jan. 8, 5 p.m. (CST)
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Varsity Radio App
Talent: Dave Sprau (PxP), Eric Heft (Analyst)
TV: ESPNU
Talent: Rich Hollenberg (PxP), Tim Welsh (Analyst)
Webcast: WatchESPN
Live Stats: Cyclonestats.com
KEY STORYLINES
– Iowa State is 13-1 for just the third time in school history (2013-14, 2000-01) … a win would match the best start in school history through 15 games (2013-14).
– Through Wednesday’s games, Iowa State is one of just 12 teams nationally with zero or one losses this season … the Cyclones are one of four teams with at least four Quad 1 victories.
– The Cyclones are No. 11 in the AP Top 25, having been ranked the last six weeks … ISU is 7-1 as a ranked team this season.
– ISU has one of the nation’s top defenses, allowing just 56.9 points per game and holding opponents to 38.1 percent shooting from the field and 24.8 percent behind the arc … nine of 14 opponents have scored 64 or fewer points.
– ISU owns a top-five defense by KenPom.com, ranking fourth in adjusted defense.
– Iowa State snapped a five-game losing streak to Texas Tech Wednesday night, also ending a 24-game winless streak against Big 12 Conference opponents.
– The Cyclones have already snapped losing streaks of 18-straight games overall, eight home games, 25 games against power conference opponents, 28 games away from Hilton Coliseum, 25 games in true road contests, 24 games to Big 12 opponents and 19 games to nationally ranked opponents.
– Izaiah Brockington was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List Wednesday and followed with 14 points and nine boards against TTU … Brockington struggled against the Tech defense, but came up huge down the stretch … in the last two minutes of the game, he scored seven points and had two big defensive rebounds as ISU held on for the win … Brockington has a Big 12-best six double-doubles.
LAST TIME OUT
– Iowa State won a rock fight on Wednesday evening against Texas Tech at Hilton Coliseum, holding off the Red Raiders for the 51-47 win to snap a 24-game losing streak against Big 12 foes … the Cyclones led by 11 at the half, but Texas Tech took a brief 0:26 lead (its only of the game) with just more than two minutes left … Brockington stepped up when great players step up, in crunch time, and connected on a four-point play with 1:52 left to put ISU in front to stay … Brockington led the Cyclones with 14 points and nine boards … Aljaz Kunc scored 13 points, going 7-for-10 at the line after drawing 11 fouls in the game … the Cyclones overcame 30.6 percent shooting in the game, including 15.8 percent (3-for-19) in the second half … ISU is the first Big 12 team to make three or fewer field goals in a half and win since Kansas State did so in 2014 (vs. Bradley).
ISU VERSUS OKLAHOMA
– The Cyclones face the Sooners for the 212th time … OU owns a 120-91 lead in the all-time series, including wins in four straight … last season’s three games were decided by an average of 7.7 points.
– Prior to OU’s four-game winning streak, ISU had won six of the previous seven meetings.
– The Cyclones have only defeated OU 24 times in 91 previous meetings in Norman … most recently, ISU won at Lloyd Noble Center in 2017 and 2019.
– Tre Jackson has averaged 7.0 points in five career outings against OU … he’s 11-for-24 behind the arc against the Sooners.
– ISU is 392-610 against teams currently in the Big 12 Conference.
– Iowa State assistant coach Daniyal Robinson worked with Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser at multiple stops … from 2000-03, Robinson was an administrative assistant at Arkansas-Little Rock … he was then an assistant coach for Moser from 2003-07 at Illinois State and then an assistant at Loyola (Chicago) from 2013-15.
– OU Director of Video Operations and Player Development Clayton Custer played at Iowa State in 2014-15 before transferring to Loyola (Chicago).
