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basketball gameday
Kansas vs. Iowa State
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
AT A GLANCE
With the presumed No.1 ranking, the target will be on Kansas' back in Ames. The Jayhawks have the ability to get it done in a tough environment, but the team's defense will be challenged against the Cyclones. Whether Kansas can step up its defense to another level after some issues in past games will be an important facet of the game.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Lagerald Vick, sophomore, guard
Lagerald Vick grabbed five rebounds in the win over the Cowboys, but only scored two points and committed three turnovers. It is about time Vick produced at a starter's level for Kansas, and a quality opponent in Iowa State should force him to do so. A starting role is likely out of the question for Vick at this point, but he can still be a productive bench player.
Will lack of depth finally be an issue for Kansas?
Kansas has a couple great options in sophomore forward Carlton Bragg Jr. and sophomore guard Lagerald Vick coming off the bench, but not much else. Bench bigs — junior Dwight Coleby and freshman Mitch Lightfoot —might see some minutes, but that's all Kansas has. This hasn't been much of a problem so far, but Kansas hasn't yet faced a conference opponent like Iowa State..
BY THE NUMBERS
3 Kansas has played three road games this season. The team is 3-0 on the road.
QUESTION MARK
4 Kansas has four players averaging double digits this season. They are senior guard Frank Mason III, freshman guard Josh Jackson, junior guard Devonte' Graham and junior guard Svi Mykhailiuk.
50 - Kansas currently shoots 50 percent from the field.
STARTING FIVE
Frank Mason III, senior, guard
Mason went for another 22 points on Saturday afternoon against Oklahoma State. Against Iowa State, he will be tasked with just as much, because Iowa State is a more powerful offensive team than Oklahoma State, and the Cyclones hold the homecourt advantage. In addition to his scoring ability, Mason averages 5-5 assists per game.
Devonte' Graham, junior, guard
Devone Graham jumps to Graham would be another big name in college basketball were it not for Mason and Jackson's outstanding seasons. The junior from Raleigh, North Carolina, is second on the team in assists with 4.6 per game, and scores 13.5 points per game. The trio of Jackson, Mason and Graham scored over 20 points each against Oklahoma State, and a performance like that is needed against Iowa State.
Josh Jackson, freshman, guard
Only a few spots below Mason in the national player of the year conversation is Jackson. Jackson has recorded four double-doubles on the season. As a versatile option for the Jayhawks, Jackson is the reason why a four-guard lineup works. The 6-foot-8 Jackson can haul in rebounds and score with ease down low.
Unimpressive play off the bench continues to allow Mykhailiuk increased minutes on the floor for the Jayhawks, but that's not to say Mykhailiuk hasn't earned the starting spot. He is scoring 10.8 points per game this season and will be set to make his eighth start of the season against Iowa State.
Svi Mykhailiuk, junior, guard
Landen Lucas, senior, center Lucas barely missed a fourth double-double in conference season with seven points and 12 rebounds on Saturday. The senior big man is one of the most important pieces on the court for the Jayhawks. Lucas averages 7.6 points per game, as well as 7.6 rebounds per game for Kansas. He will be a key for the Jayhawks to spread scoring around the floor against Iowa State.
Landen Lucas, senior, center
STARTING FIVE
Monte Morris, senior, guard
Morris entered the season as one of the consensus top players in the Big 12, and has established himself as such this season. He averages 15.5 points per game, just barely second on the team, and also a team-high 5.8 assists per game. Morris and Kansas' Frank Mason III will be a battle of two of the conference's best point guards.
Naz Mitrou-Long, senior, guard
If the Cyclones' best player isn't Morris, it's Mitrou-Long. He holds the team-high scoring mark at 15.7 points per game, and is very efficient in doing so. That's about all he can do, however, as his rebounding and assist numbers aren't off the charts, and he plays average defense.
★★★★★
Matt Thomas, senior, guard
A look at the stat sheet makes Thomas out to be solid in most every category, but not very exceptional in any. He's fourth on the team in scoring fifth in rebounding and assists, and shoots 43.3 percent from the field.
Deonte Burton, senior, guard
Burton is listed as a guard, but leads the team in both rebounds and blocks per game. He has a decent three-point stroke (38.9 percent) as well, and is a dependable third option in the team's offense. He plays similarly to Kansas' Josh Jackson. While not as tall as his Jayhawk counterpart. Burton is significantly stockier at 6-foot-5, 250 lbs., so he has the same ability to beat his opponents on rebound attempts despite playing in the backcourt.
Darrell Bowie, senior, forward
The lone forward in the Iowa State lineup, Bowie has been decent for the Cyclones this season. His 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game don't jump off the page, but he's very efficient on offense with the highest field goal percentage (51 percent) among all starters.
▶ JORDAN WOLF @JordanWolfKU
AT A GLANCE
Iowa State is both one of the Big 12's best teams and one of the most experienced two things that probably aren't mutually exclusive. Their five seniors can all the score the ball, and they spread the ball around in doing so, as four of the five average double-digit scoring. With a litany of potential high-impact scorers, tremendous experience across the board and a sure-to-be-raucous home environment, consider the Jayhawks on upset watch as they travel to Ames.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Monte Morris, senior, guard
Senior guard Monte Morris had a poor performance in the Cyclones' last game, an 84-77 loss on the road against TCU. In the two games before that, he averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Frustrated with his team's loss to the Horned Frogs, expect him to find some of this previous mojo through the energy of the home crowd and potential of the major upset.
QUESTION MARK
Will Iowa State be able to slow down Kansas' big three?
In its most recent conference win, Iowa State defeated Oklahoma State in a shootout, 96-86. That Cowboys team is very similar to the Jayhawks - as seen in Kansas' narrow victory when the two squared off in Lawrence on Saturday. The primary similarity comes in each team's offensive attack: the Jayhawks' senior guard Frank Mason III, junior guard Devonte' Graham and freshman guard Josh Jackson versus the Cowboys' Jawun Evans, Jeffrey Carroll and Phil Forte III. When the Cyclones played the Cowboys, the trio combined for 57 points. Going against a slightly more talented bunch on the Jayhawks, the Cyclones will need to do a better job of containment if they want to keep the game close enough for an upset.
BY THE NUMBERS
1. 7 - The Cyclones' 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio is best in the Big 12.
2 Iowa State has won its last two home games against Kansas and three of the last five meetings overall.
3 —Three Iowa State players average at least five rebounds per game.
Beat Writer Prediction
4
Skylar Rolstad prediction: Iowa State 71, Kansas 69 // Jordan Wolf prediction: Kansas 77, Iowa State 74 // Brian Mini prediction: Kansas 80, Iowa State 75