The first matchup between Oklahoma and Kansas was probably the game of the year in college basketball so far, but Baylor and Iowa State had a crazy game themselves in their first matchup. Baylor and Iowa State met in the beginning of January at Hilton Coliseum in a game in which Baylor pulled off a huge comeback in a tough road environment for a 94-89 victory.
Part two goes down on Tuesday night in Waco, Texas, and it's a big game in the Big 12. Both teams come into this game at 18-7 overall and 7-5 in conference, but Iowa State is ranked 13th while Baylor is ranked 25th. These two teams are also in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Big 12 with Texas, so this game is huge for Big 12 tournament seeding.
Iowa State is led by Georges Niang who is one of the toughest matchups in the nation because of his versatility. Niang leads the team with his 19.2 points per game, but Jameel McKay may be the most important Cyclone. McKay was suspended for two games last week, and Iowa State went 1-1 in those games, but McKay came back on Saturday and Iowa State beat Texas.
McKay came off the bench in that game in favor of Deonte Burton, but he still had an impact and will need to continue to have an impact for the Cyclones. On the season the 6-foot-9 senior is averaging 12.2 points, 9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while making 59 percent of his field goal attempts.
Baylor, meanwhile, comes into this game having lost three of its last four games, and the Bears are in need of a major boost as their schedule is set to become extremely difficult. The remainder of the Bears' schedule has them facing the top five teams in the Big 12 in five of their last six regular season games.
Baylor is led by senior forward Taurean Prince whose shooting numbers have take a dip in Big 12 play. Prince is averaging 15.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 37 percent from three, but his field goal percentage is down to 43. The last two games for Prince, though, have been good, as he has averaged 17.5 points while making 68 percent of his shots, so the Bears need him to continue that streak.
The last time these two teams played, the biggest contributor for Baylor was sophomore forward Johnathan Motley. Motley had 27 points and 13 rebounds in what was by far his best performance of the year, but since then he hasn't been nearly as productive. Motley has his moments when he looks like he is the best player on the floor, but the Bears are looking for some consistency from him.
Overall Baylor has won the last three meetings against the Cyclones, including the last two at home, but right now these two teams seem to be heading in opposite directions.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. EST on ESPN 2. To watch the live broadcast go here. For the Iowa State radio broadcast go here, and for the Baylor radio broadcast click here.
