Arizona vs. Iowa State Basketball: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

The winner of the matchup between Arizona and Iowa State will most likely face No. 3 Gonzaga in the semifinal round.

The Maui Invitational has always been the most exciting preseason tournament in college basketball, and that will remain the case in the 2018-19 season.

Arizona and Iowa State, both 3-0, will face off in the third game of the tournament. The pair last met 20 years ago when the eighth-ranked Wildcats knocked off the Cyclones by 14.

Arizona, untraditionally, doesn’t have that Top 25-caliber talent that it usually does. Instead, the Wildcats have lost all five starters from its team last year and its leading returning scorer in Dylan Smith averaged just 4.3 points per game last season. With Arizona being one of the major players in college basketball’s widely covered FBI scandal, it’s unsurprising that Sean Miller failed to bring in a strong recruiting class for this season.

Three Wildcats have stood out thus far in the season: sophomore guard Brandon Randolph, freshman guard Brandon Williams, and junior big man Chase Jeter. The guard pair has combined for 33 points per game in three contests while Jeter has posted 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Arizona also has incredible depth. Nine Wildcats have played in ten or more minutes per game on average and all have contributed in the scoring, rebounding, or assists column. Arizona should rely on its depth for additional scoring and production against Iowa State and its opponents for the rest of the season.

With dominant wins over Houston Baptist, Cal Poly and UTEP, the Wildcats are yet to be battle-tested this season. Iowa State will be able to provide a legitimate challenge for an Arizona team that could possibly take a big step back from last season.

The Cyclones had a much different offseason than Arizona. Iowa State lost just one starter in Donovan Jackson and added Virginia transfer Marial Shayok, who currently averages a team-leading 20 points per game, as well as Talen Horton-Tucker, the No. 57 prospect in the 2018 class.

However, Iowa State has lost its leading returning scorer in Lindell Wigginton (16.7 points per game as a freshman) to a foot injury. Yet, the Cyclones may have already found scoring replacements for the Canada product. Shayok is the clear go-to scorer for the Cyclones and has produced in efficient fashion, shooting 50 percent from the floor while taking 14 field goal attempts per game. Junior forward Michael Jacobson has also impressed and now posts 16 points and 7 rebounds per contest. Moreover, Horton-Tucker has become an immediate-impact player with his 14.3 points per game thus far.

Wigginton’s absence is yet to hurt the Cyclones, as Iowa State is currently 3-0 with wins over Alabama State, Missouri and Texas Southern.

Of the Maui quarterfinal games, Arizona and Iowa State will compete in the most exciting matchup. However, Arizona doesn’t have the pieces to contend with Iowa State’s experience and talent, even without Wigginton. The Wildcats may have stronger depth, but it won’t be enough to challenge the Cyclones’ superior starting five led by senior star Marial Shayok and junior big man Michael Jacobson. I am rather confident picking Iowa State to defeat Arizona and advance to the semifinal round, where it will face No. 3 Gonzaga, barring an upset bid from Illinois.