Amid an eight-game winning streak (their longest since 2023-24), No. 9 Kansas (19–5) faces its biggest test to date when they take on the No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones (21–3) at Hilton Coliseum this Saturday.
After back-to-back ESPN Big Monday wins over Texas Tech and Arizona, the scorching Jayhawks roll into Ames for their second straight top-10 showdown.
Iowa State has won the last three home meetings against KU, with the Jayhawks’ last victory in Ames coming during their national title–winning 2021–22 season, when they had a three-game winning streak there.
Despite the losing streak, Kansas is miraculously 14–7 against the Cyclones in Hilton Coliseum under head coach Bill Self. Although the Jayhawks will be underdogs on Saturday, they’ve already proven that doesn’t matter.
So, what would a win over Iowa State mean for KU going forward?
With a win
Most people don’t expect the Jayhawks to win, despite their recent success, but if they pull off the upset, Kansas would likely catapult into the top half of the 2-seed line in the current NCAA Tournament bracket projections.
Additionally, a KU victory would add another twist to the Big 12 race, as winning this game would allow the Jayhawks (two losses in the Big 12) to control their own path to the regular-season conference title and keep pace with Arizona and Houston (each with one loss in the Big 12), with games against both teams still remaining.
Finally, a win on Saturday would likely boost KU into the top five of the AP poll for the first time this season, which would be a remarkable turnaround considering they were unranked less than a month ago.
To win, Kansas must match the intensity of the hostile crowd and win their matchups on both ends of the floor. This starts with the vocal leader, Melvin Council Jr., who has been a revelation in the backcourt for Bill Self this season, shouldering a large portion of the load during Peterson's absences.
After missing Monday night’s matchup against Arizona with flu-like symptoms, Darryn Peterson is expected to return to the lineup for this game. More information will be released as we get closer to tipoff. Having Peterson healthy would be huge, though the Jayhawks have proven their worth without him as well.
The emerging frontcourt has been another strength for the Jayhawks, as Bryson Tiller and Flory Bidunga look to continue their recent brilliance after dominating Arizona down low on Monday.
The Cyclones
Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson (17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game) is a force in the paint and will make sure the KU big men have their hands full throughout the contest.
Veteran point guard Tamin Lipsey (13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game) has had a long career against the Jayhawks and will be eager to stop them one final time.
Cyclones’ leading scorer Milan Momcilovic (18.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game) had one of his worst shooting nights of the season during Iowa State’s loss at Allen Fieldhouse in January and will be desperate for redemption in this one.
Iowa State will be anxious to defend their home court on Saturday after a tough loss to TCU on Tuesday night in Fort Worth.
If Kansas finds a way to win, it would undeniably mark one of the most impressive one-month stretches of Bill Self's career. Win or lose on Saturday, Kansas will be in strong position heading into the latter half of February.
Will the Jayhawks have enough to pull off the shocker in Ames this Saturday and extend their winning streak to nine games?
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