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Big 12 Basketball: Key 2018-19 storylines for Kansas vs. Iowa State

By Jason Kinander

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 02: Dedric Lawson #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Allen Fieldhouse on January 02, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 02: Dedric Lawson #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Allen Fieldhouse on January 02, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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LAWRENCE, KANSAS – JANUARY 02: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks scores on a fast break during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Allen Fieldhouse on January 02, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS – JANUARY 02: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks scores on a fast break during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Allen Fieldhouse on January 02, 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

The Kansas Jayhawks are the clear favorite to come out on top of the Big 12. Can Iowa State pull off a stunner on Saturday?

Non-conference play for the Big 12 is officially over. Kansas kicked off their conference play season on Tuesday, knocking off  No. 2525 Oklahoma at home.

Non-conference play pretty much just reassured what everybody had already known about the Jayhawks. They’re a high-scoring team that is going to get out to some big leads, but their inexperience continually makes their wins much closer than they need to be.

That is what makes Saturday’s game even scarier. Especially against an Iowa State team that if non-conference play told us anything, it was that Iowa State is for real.

Lead by transfer Marial Shayok, sophomore star Lindell Wigginton, and freshman rising star Talen Horton-Tucker, the Cyclones are off to a 1-0 start of their own in conference play, taking down Oklahoma State on Tuesday.

In their home opener on Saturday, the Cyclones are going to need a big presence from their home court advantage. Kansas has shown just how valuable having a devout fanbase is when it comes to conference play, and Iowa State will need to come out in full force if they want a chance at taking down the fifth-ranked team in the nation.

Maybe they’re more of a dark horse, but Iowa State was a somewhat trendy pick to make noise in the Big 12 in preseason polls and previews. Iowa State has lived up to that, holding an 11-2 record, including ten wins in non-conference play.

The Cyclones face their biggest test of the season on Saturday, hosting the team that was the consensus pick to win the Big 12. A win on Saturday would not only shift the force of balance in the league but make Iowa State a real contender to win the Big 12.

Anyways, let’s take a look at the top three storylines to watch, as Iowa State looks to pull off a massive upset against the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday.

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