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AMES – When Iowa State basketball takes the court against Houston on Saturday, in some ways the Cyclones will be staring into a mirror.
Both teams enter Saturday ranked in the top 10. Their successes are predicated on defense, a balanced attack, unrelenting play on both ends of the court, and pride in disrupting their opponents.
In an era when players often try to see if the grass is greener elsewhere, sure Houston and Iowa State have brought in some newcomers and transfers, but they have largely retained their rosters from last season.
“They found the right guys that will fit into their culture to come in as well,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “They’ve done a good job as any of identifying the guys that will play for them and be successful.”
The fifth-ranked Cougars (22-4, 14-1 Big 12 Conference) are returning from a successful road trip in which their recent win over Arizona State broke a Big 12 record for longest winning streak in conference road games. They got their 12th straight Big 12 road win, surpassing the previous mark set by Kansas in 2003.
They will host No. 8 Iowa State (21-5, 11-4) for a Saturday game at 1 p.m. CT.
The Cougars are well-positioned to earn another Big 12 regular-season title, boasting a 14-1 record in conference play, with some room over second-place Arizona at 12-3.
While it would take a late-season collapse for the Cougars for the Cyclones to have a shot at the regular-season title (Iowa State has only five games left), this contest still has major implications for Iowa State’s NCAA Tournament seeding.
Both teams also met in last year’s Big 12 Tournament title game, which Iowa State won, and they aspire to return there in March and go even further in the NCAA Tournament.
“We had three great battles last year – they got us down there, so we’re looking to go down there, get some revenge and make that a different outcome,” Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey said. “They have some similar guys back, as we do too. We know (J’Wan) Roberts, (Ja’Vier) Francis, (Emanuel) Sharp and (L.J.) Cryer.
“They got a lot of key guys back and we have a lot of key guys back. It makes it a little bit easier just knowing that we played them three times last year, so it’s more of just game-planning for how we’re going to go at it.”
In last year’s Big 12 Tournament title game, the Cyclones dismantled the Cougars en route to a 69-41 victory.
Although many months have passed since then, the Cougars haven’t forgotten. ESPN’s “College GameDay” visiting Houston for Saturday’s game will add more juice for the big rematch.
The Cougars enter Saturday ranked in the top 10 for offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
While their offensive production has improved, defense remains the backbone of Houston’s approach. The Cougars lead the conference with an average margin of victory of 17.8 points, and they’ve held opponents to a Big 12-best 57.6 points per game.
No other Big 12 team is limiting opponents to fewer than 63 points per game.
Much like the Cyclones, the Cougars try to disorient teams with their tenacious pressure. They’ve forced turnovers on 22.3% of opponents’ possessions (11th in the country), which is only a few ticks higher than Iowa State’s 21.7% turnover rate (17th-best).
“Definitely some similarities,” Lipsey said. “Just how hard we play, two of the hardest-playing teams in the country. We just try to win the game by playing harder, and I see some similarities in defensive-oriented teams but obviously a lot of differences as well.”
The Cyclones have a new-look frontcourt, but retained their backcourt core of Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert, Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic.
The Cougars are highlighted by returning all-conference selections Cryer and Roberts. Sharp remains one of their top contributors.
Francis, Mylik Wilson, Terrance Arceneaux and Joseph Tugler are other experienced returners who have taken big roles.
Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan has bolstered the Cougars offensively with his playmaking, carving out a role on a team loaded with familiar faces.
Once that ball tips off on Saturday, both teams know to expect an all-out war.
“They’ve got a lot of experienced guys that have grown old in their program,” Otzelberger said. “They’re committed as much as ever to their plan defensively, how they guard guys on the ball screen, and probably as good as any on the offensive boards converting those into points. It’s important that you take tremendous pride in winning that turnover battle and that rebounding battle, that’s how you win the game.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for coach (Kelvin) Sampson, their program and what they’ve done in the league last year and this year. They’ve separated themselves truly from the pack. We’re going to aim to set our standard to be at our best Saturday and come out with a win.”
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball: Cyclones ready for top-10 battle at Houston