Arizona vs. Iowa State: Key storylines to watch in the Maui Invitational matchup

TUCSON, AZ - DECEMBER 09: Brandon Randolph #5 of the Arizona Wildcats reacts after scoring against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half of the college basketball game at McKale Center on December 9, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide 88-82. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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BOISE, ID – MARCH 15: Parker Jackson-Cartwright #0 of the Arizona Wildcats leaves the court after being defeated by the Buffalo Bulls 89-68 during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 15, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Arizona and Iowa State are both flying under the radar to start the season. What are the biggest keys in this quarterfinal matchup?

Coming into this season, there were few teams with as many question marks as Arizona after losing so much production from the season prior. But with a few new transfers and last-minute four-star recruits, the Wildcats were hoping to be an NCAA Tournament contender.

After three games – there’s still not much to be sure about. And that’s because of the opponents that Arizona has faced so far. Houston Baptist, Cal Poly and UTEP are all projected to finish near the bottom of their respected conferences, so going 3-0 against them isn’t that impressive. That being said, a few players for the Wildcats have stood out and look to continue their early season performances against better teams.

What Iowa State has done so far has been impressive, considering that they’re missing four key pieces on the team. Starting forward Cam Lard is out the first semester with personal issues, while Solomon Young and Zoran Talley are out with injuries. Making matters worse, star guard Lindell Wigginton has been injured as well, and will be out for the Maui Invitational.

*Editor’s note: Both Lard and Talley are out via suspension and not injury for the first month of the season. Each will miss the Maui.

But the Cyclones have still managed to start out 3-0 themselves, including wins over Texas Southern, Alabama State and over Missouri 76-59. They also have some newcomers who’ve made a big impact out the gate.

This will be an intriguing matchup, as both programs come into the event without many marquee names. But that doesn’t mean that neither have a shot at making a run to the title game. Here are some storylines to look out for.

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