Men's college basketball game of the week: Iowa State vs. Kansas

This week, the No.7 Jayhawks take on the No.23 Cyclones in a Big 12 matchup that is sure to turn heads.

Kansas currently sits at third place in the Big 12 with a 16-3 record while Iowa State trails closely behind with a 15-4 record.

The former NCAA Championship winners from 2022 are coming off a 74-69 win against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Freshman guard, Johnny Furphy, led both teams in points with a career-high 23 on top of leading the Jayhawks in rebounds with a career-high 11.

Senior guard and leading scorer for Kansas this season, Kevin McCullar Jr., added another 20 points and three steals in their victory.

The Cyclones are currently on a two-game win streak after beating Kansas State 78-67 despite the Wildcats erasing a 14-point second-half lead but still fell short after failing to take the lead.

Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Keshon Gilbert led the way for this win with a dominant double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Iowa State Forward, Milan Momcilovic, led the Cyclones in scoring with 19 points while also hitting three of six three-point attempts.

The last time these two teams matched up was March 10, 2023, in the Big 12 Tournament where the Jayhawks who finished first in the Big 12, cruised to a comfortable 71-58 win over the five-seeded Cyclones.

Both teams look slightly different after their last meeting since star player for Kansas, Gradey Dick, left and declared for the NBA Draft where he was selected 13th overall to the Toronto Raptors as well as the loss of Jalen Wilson who is currently on a two-way contract for the Brooklyn Nets.

Meanwhile, Iowa State has raised their ceiling with the additions of UNLV transfer Keshon Gilbert, who is the Cyclones' second leading scorer on the season, and Buffalo transfer Curtis Jones, who is second on the team in steals with two a game.

Wilson dominated the court in their last outing with an impressive 25 points and 10 rebounds which led both teams in both statistics. Dick finished with 15 points as well.

Guard Jaren Holmes led the Cyclones with 16 points but couldn't lead them to a win. Iowa State struggled to get to their spots and as a team shot 40 percent from the field and failed to stop the Jayhawks.

This time around though, both teams are much closer in rankings and conference standings.

Will the losses that Kansas suffered prove to be too much to stack up against a formidable Iowa State team, or will they prevail despite the capabilities of the off-season additions for the Cyclones and keep their spot as the three-seed in the Big 12?

John Maldonado is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jim6132@psu.edu