Through the Phog
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Kansas basketball: 5 toughest games on the Jayhawks conference schedule

By Joshua Schulman

Kansas basketball fans pack in to Allen Fieldhouse for Friday's Late Night in the Phog.
Kansas basketball fans pack in to Allen Fieldhouse for Friday's Late Night in the Phog. /
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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 10: Jaren Holmes #13 of the Iowa State Cyclones controls the ball as Gradey Dick #4 and Joseph Yesufu #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks defend during the Big 12 Tournament game at T-Mobile Center on March 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 10: Jaren Holmes #13 of the Iowa State Cyclones controls the ball as Gradey Dick #4 and Joseph Yesufu #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks defend during the Big 12 Tournament game at T-Mobile Center on March 10, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

4. January 27: Kansas basketball at Iowa State

Playing a game in Hilton Coliseum is never easy. TJ Otzelberger has led the Cyclones to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, and they bring in a roster chock full of talent this season. Tamin Lipsey and Wofford transfer Jackson Paveletzke should be the top performers for ISU, though they also acquired 5-star recruit Omaha Biliew and the No. 9 class in the nation.

Iowa State has finished 21st and 20th in defensive points per game under Otzelberger, respectively. They defeated Kansas 68-53 last year in Ames and held opponents under 60 points a total of 13 times. A conference road game versus a defensive-minded team often leads to some ugly losses.

While they are projected to finish as a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big 12, I’d still bet on the Cyclones receiving a good draw in March. They are an extremely young roster, but by the time these two teams play, we could be looking at a ranked matchup.

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