Kansas at Iowa State: 2022-23 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Another important Big 12 clash sees the Jayhawks hoping for another big win on the road while the Cyclones look for another marquee home win.
TV schedule: Saturday, February 4, 12:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: James H. Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa
The season has gone well for Kansas (18-4) to this point, though the defending champions know things haven’t been and won’t soon be easy. They recently experienced a 3-game losing streak, which is no shocker against this year’s Big 12. Recent wins against Kentucky and Kansas State have the Jayhawks back on track, but can they survive another hostile road environment?
The main story for Kansas has been the play of junior forward Jalen Wilson (21.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg). An emerging force for the Jayhawks and a part of last year’s title run, Wilson recently had a pair of 30-point games during that losing streak but has keyed the recent turnaround. The other big name to watch is freshman guard Gradey Dick (14.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg), who is among the conference’s best young talent and can really shoot the ball. Senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (10.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg), the transfer from Texas Tech, just had a double-double in that win over Kansas State.
At the moment, Kansas sits #8 in the AP poll, 9th in KenPom, and 7th in the NET ranking. The Jayhawks have played the toughest schedule in the nation and their slate the last three or four weeks would have doomed a great number of teams, even those at the top of the polls. Still, they play decent offense and solid defense and have done enough to put themselves in this position, sitting 6-3 in conference play.
Across the court stands an Iowa State (15-6) squad desperate to get back on track. They’ve been one of the stories of the college basketball season with their hot start, but have had rough performances in back-to-back losses to Missouri and Texas Tech, blowing a 23-point lead against the Red Raiders. Do they have what it takes to hold their ground back at home against one of the nation’s best teams?
It starts with their one-two punch of senior guards Jaren Holmes (13.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Gabe Kalscheur (13.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg) who have both had standout performances this season, including Kalscheur’s 23-point effort in their earlier loss at Kansas. Senior guard Caleb Grill (10.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg) just put up 21 points against Texas Tech, while senior forward Osun Osunniyi (9.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg) has been a great addition in the frontcourt after transferring in from St. Bonaventure.
Currently 13th in the AP Top 25, Iowa State is also 13th in the NET but sit just 18th in KenPom. Additionally, the Cyclones are unbeaten at home this season and their defense ranks 11th in the efficiency metrics. Iowa State plays a slow burn but is among the best in the country at forcing turnovers and preventing second-chance opportunities. Can they manage that against this talented Kansas line?
Game one between these two teams, which was just three weeks ago, saw Dick and Kalscheur have great shooting nights in a close affair that went down to the wire. Round two is set up to be similarly close, especially if the Cyclones can get more out of Grill and Holmes, who combined for just 10 points on 4-of-17 shooting in that previous outing.
Next. Latest top-25 power rankings. dark
However, we have to take the recent momentum into account. Iowa State has looked dreadful the last two outings, though they play much better in front of their home fans. On the other side, Kansas just went to Lexington and came away with a win over Kentucky. They will not be fazed and will hope to gain ground in the standings. These were the kinds of games that Kansas kept pulling out earlier in January, expect a close battle but another frustrating ending for the Cyclones.