A massive Big 12 matchup headlines Monday night as the Iowa State Cyclones travel to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center. Both teams are firmly in the NCAA Tournament picture, but seeding and conference positioning are still very much on the line.
Iowa State enters at 24-5 overall, though the Cyclones are coming off a home loss to Texas Tech. Tied with Kansas for fourth in the Big 12 standings, Iowa State sits behind Houston, Texas Tech and Arizona in the league race. The Cyclones have won seven of their last 10 games, with the only setbacks in that stretch coming at TCU, BYU and Texas Tech. During that run, they also picked up statement wins over Houston and Kansas.
Iowa State closes the regular season Saturday at home against Arizona State before shifting its focus to the Big 12 Tournament. The Cyclones are trending toward a No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, depending on how the final week plays out.
Arizona, meanwhile, is 27-2 and building a strong case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats have won four straight games, including impressive victories over BYU, Houston, Baylor and Kansas. Their only two losses came in back-to-back games at Kansas and at home against Texas Tech.
Arizona will wrap up the regular season Saturday at Colorado before entering the Big 12 Tournament as the likely top seed.
Iowa State vs. Arizona: When and where
Date: Monday, March 2, 2026
Location: McKale Center, Tucson, AZ
Time: 6:00 p.m. PT
Iowa State vs. Arizona: How to watch and stream
TV: ESPN
Streaming: FuboTV
Iowa State vs. Arizona: Betting odds
Spread: Arizona -7.5
Moneyline: Arizona -275, Iowa State +215
Total: 147.5
Iowa State vs. Arizona: Series history
All-time series: Arizona leads 5-4
Last meeting: Iowa State defeated Arizona 84-67 on March 1, 2025
Projected starting lineups
Iowa State Cyclones
#22 Milan Momcilovic – 17.4 PPG
#5 Joshua Jefferson – 16.8 PPG
#3 Tamin Lipsey – 13.0 PPG
#27 Killyan Toure – 8.6 PPG
#23 Blake Buchanan – 8.3 PPG
Arizona Wildcats
#5 Brayden Burries - 15.7 PPG
#00 Jaden Bradley - 13.8 PPG
#10 Joa Peat - 13.7 PPG
#13 Motejus Krivas - 10.7 PPG
#8 Ivan Kharchenkov - 10.2 PPG
Big 12 showdown in the desert
This is the kind of late-season matchup that shapes conference races and NCAA Tournament seed lines. Arizona has been rolling and looks every bit like a national title contender. Iowa State, coming off a frustrating home loss, will arrive focused and motivated.
When top-tier Big 12 teams collide, it usually delivers intensity, physical play and long scoring runs. The Wildcats have the home-court edge at McKale Center, but the Cyclones have proven they can beat elite competition.
Expect a high-level battle Monday night in Tucson with major March implications.