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No. 4 Iowa State Faces Gauntlet: Can They Survive Ranked Rivals?
25 Feb
Summary
- Iowa State, ranked fourth, faces a difficult schedule with five of six opponents being ranked.
- The Cyclones lost to BYU 79-69, struggling with rebounds and points in the paint.
- Utah, a struggling team tied for last in the Big 12, has lost 13 of their last 15 games.
No. 4 Iowa State is currently in the midst of a challenging six-game stretch that features five nationally ranked opponents. The Cyclones, who are 23-4 overall and 10-4 in the Big 12, recently lost to then-No. 23 BYU on the road with a score of 79-69. In that game, Iowa State was outrebounded 39-28 and outscored in the paint 40-22.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger emphasized the need for his team to match the physical toughness displayed by opponents when playing away from home. Despite this recent setback, Iowa State was projected to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before their loss to BYU. The team's next few games include facing struggling Utah, followed by challenges against No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 4 Arizona.
Utah, meanwhile, is tied for last place in the Big 12 with a 10-17 record and has lost 13 of their last 15 contests. The Utes recently lost a close game to UCF, 73-71, and their coach, Alex Jensen, expressed frustration with several close losses, stating they are "better than our record."
