AMES, Iowa — Two top-10 AP teams, each undefeated with 12-0 records to begin conference play — it's hard to draw up a Big 12 opener any better than that. It's a great matchup for college basketball fans, and an opportunity for the Cyclones to make a statement against Baylor.
The defending national champion Bears will head to Ames on Saturday, looking to keep their undefeated record alive and hang onto their top spot in the AP rankings for the fourth week in a row.
Iowa State has arguably been just as good, rising to a season-high No. 8 rank in the top-25 poll through 12 non-conference games, but this weekend will show just how good the Cyclones can be against the nation's elite teams.
What's got Iowa State playing well thus far? Most would say their defense which statistically has been one of the best in the country.
ISU defenders have allowed the 7th-fewest points per game (56.1) and held opponents to the 10th-lowest field-goal percentage (36.9%) among all NCAA teams. The last seven Iowa State foes have all scored 64 points or less, with no team shooting better than 44% from the field in any of their 12 games this season.
It'll take that kind of defensive effort to stop a high-powered Baylor offense that's averaging 83.8 points per game (11th-NCAA), 10 points more than Iowa State (73.1 ppg-154th NCAA).
The last time these two rivals met was on Feb. 23 with then-No. 2 Baylor surviving a 77-72 upset at home against an ISU team that finished the 2020-21 season with a 2-22 record.
The Cyclones have come a long way from ending that campaign on an 18-game losing streak, marking one of the worst seasons in program history.
It's part of the reason many did not expect the hot start from ISU who didn't receive any AP votes until the fourth week of the season. They've quickly gone from NCAA tournament long shot to top-10 in the country.
Leading the way is T.J. Otzelberger who is off to the best start in Iowa State history for any first-year head coach, and his 12-0 mark is second-best in Big 12 history among head coaches in their first season.
It's a turnaround that the team and program should be proud of, but if you ask any player on Iowa State, they'll tell you now is not the time to be satisfied.
"We just know the job isn't finished," said senior guard Izaiah Brockington. "We've had a good start, but we don't want to be the team that started out good, and then flamed out or whatever."
Brockington words ring true, especially when one considers the depth of the Big 12 so far.
The "worst" team in the conference is Oklahoma State (7-4) with three other teams ranked in the AP top 25: No. 6 Kansas (9-1), No. 17 Texas (10-2), and No. 25 Texas Tech (10-2). Other Big 12 teams receiving AP votes in the latest poll were Oklahoma (10-2) and West Virginia (11-1).
A lot can, and probably will, change in the standings as the Big 12 matchups begin.
The New Year's Day showdown between Baylor and Iowa State is far from season-deciding, but it's the type of game the Cyclones want to at least make competitive in front of a home crowd at Hilton Coliseum.
If there's any trends going well for Iowa State heading into Saturday, it's been the carousel of teams in the No. 1 AP spot this season. Baylor is the fourth team to sit atop the top-25 teams in eight weeks of rankings.
The Bears have won 18-straight games, going back to their NCAA tournament run last season, and are winners in 40 of their last 42 contests. Even with new faces this season and key members of their championship team leaving, they've been dominant.
If the Cyclones want to make some serious noise this season, this matchup couldn't be a more perfect opportunity.
Tip-off between No. 1 Baylor (12-0) and No. 8 Iowa State (12-0) is set for 1 p.m. at the Hilton Coliseum on Saturday.
