The No. 24-ranked Texas Longhorns (16-8) will try to slow down the Big 12’s top shooting team when they take on the No. 14-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (17-7) at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 13 and will air on ESP and ES3.
The Cyclones lost a winnable game to Texas Tech 85-82 on Wednesday. Georges Niang was a top performer for the Cyclones, recording 18 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. The Longhorns, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their tough 63-60 loss to Oklahoma on Monday. Kendal Yancy played well for Texas, recording 13 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
From an eFG% perspective, this will be a matchup of two heavyweights. The upper-echelon offense of Iowa State is ranked ninth in the nation in that metric at 56.5%, while Texas is 30th-best in the nation at making opponents miss (45.3%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Longhorns winning the first matchup 94-91. Isaiah Taylor had a stellar game with 28 points, six rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two three-pointers.
The Cyclones come into this game 17-7 Straight Up (SU) and 11-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 8-2 ATS over their last 10 games. Iowa State has some room to improve after their below-average performances recently. In the last 10 games, Iowa State has only averaged 68.7 points per game compared to the 82.2 they’ve averaged on the season. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Iowa State, which ranks 24th at 1.43. Iowa State’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 63.6 during that span, compared to its 73.7 season average.
In the other locker room, Texas has a SU record of 16-8 and an ATS record of 12-11. During the last 10 games, they averaged 78.0 PPG, above their 72.2 PPG season average. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Longhorns on the defensive end. They allowed 75.7 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 66.4. Don’t expect Texas to give away the ball much on offense, where its 10.7 turnovers per game ranks 22nd in the country.
Texas beat Iowa State in their most recent meeting this season, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. However, with a 5-4-1 record, Texas has the advantage ATS. Texas held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Iowa State never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tex, ATS Winner – Tex
Notes
Iowa State is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 82.2 points per game (ranked 14th). Texas allows 66.4 points per game (ranked 47th).
In its last game, Texas lost by a margin of three points. Iowa State is 2-3 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Texas has a 4-2 record in close games.
On average, Iowa State has 72.2 possessions per game and scores 1.138 points on each possession. Texas has both fewer possessions (66.8) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.081).
Iowa State has an average effective field goal percentage of 56.5% (ranked ninth). Texas is an even 2-2 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Iowa State ranks 27th in assists, registering 16.4 per game. Texas performs worse at 282nd with 11.8 assists per game.
Texas, the 54th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.7 per game. Iowa State does worse, ranked 102nd with 4.0.
On average, Iowa State makes 6.5 steals per game. Texas has a dazzling 6-2 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
