The Missouri basketball team lost a heartbreaker Tuesday when it fell one point short against No. 1 Auburn. Saturday, the Tigers will try to bounce back during a one-game reprieve from conference play.
As part of the SEC-Big 12 Challenge, Missouri will travel to Hilton Coliseum to face Iowa State. When the schedule came out, that looked like a welcome break from the SEC gauntlet. But under first-year head coach T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State has been the surprise of the season in college basketball. A season after bottoming out at 2-22, the Cyclones are 15-5 and ranked No. 23.
Otzelberger, who came to Iowa State from UNLV, where he was hired by current Missouri athletics director Desiree Reed-Francois, has turned things around at Iowa State by installing a swarming defense. The Cyclones rank ninth nationally in defensive efficiency and fifth in turnover rate, forcing a giveaway on more than a quarter of opponent's possessions. Since starting the season 13-0, however, Iowa State has come back to earth a bit lately, starting Big 12 play 3-5.
Missouri and Iowa State have faced off 149 times, the second-most matchups between the Tigers and any other school. Saturday will mark the third meeting between the two programs since Missouri left the Big 12 in 2012 and the second in Ames. Here's everything you need to know to get set for the matchup.
                     TIP TIME INFORMATION
Missouri (8-11) vs Iowa State (15-5)
WHEN: 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa
TV: ESPN U
RADIO: Tiger Radio Network (Mike Kelly, Chris Gervino)
SERIES: Missouri leads 92-57
KenPom Prediction: Iowa State 70-57
                    THE STARTING LINEUPS
                         BY THE NUMBERS
                    MIZZOU KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Take care of the ball. The only way to beat the Cyclones is by not turning the ball over. Iowa State is 13-2 this season when it takes the ball away from its opponent more than 12 times. That could be problematic for a Missouri team that has struggled to find a consistent primary ball-handler all year. The Tigers rank 310th out of 368 Division I teams in turnover rate at 21.1 percent. Plus, on-ball pressure has given the team fits; even when it doesn't result in a turnover, it has generally made Missouri start its offensive possessions late in the shot clock.
2. Do a better job on the boards. In each of Missouri's past two games, the team's second-half slide has coincided with the opposing team dominating on the boards. Auburn out-rebounded Missouri 33-16 in the second half, including grabbing 20 of its 30 misses. Alabama grabbed 22 second-half rebounds to 10 for the Tigers. So far this season, Iowa State hasn't been as effective on the offensive glass as either Auburn or Alabama, but the Cyclones have been fine, rebounding 30.8 percent of their own misses. And winning the rebounding margin has been a key to success for Missouri all season. The Tigers are 0-9 when they lose the battle on the boards.
3. Stay in front of Iowa State's guards. The Cyclones lean heavily on their backcourt to create offense, and they typically do so by penetrating inside the three-point arc. Iowa State ranks No. 204 nationally in three-point shooting but No. 95 in two-point percentage. Point guard Tyrese Hunter typically drives to make plays for others. His assist rate of 30.5 percent ranks among the top 75 players nationally. Izaiah Brockington, meanwhile, is more of a scoring threat. Brockington has scored 17 or more points in 12 of Iowa State's 20 games. Both players are adept at getting to the line, so staying in front of them and not getting into foul trouble will be key. If Missouri can at least slow down Brockington and Hunter, Iowa State could really struggle to score.
                   POWERMIZZOU PREDICTION
Iowa State has looked vulnerable in recent games, falling to Texas Tech last week and mustering just 44 points in a home loss to TCU on Saturday. This figures to be a fairly low-scoring affair, which probably plays into Missouri's hands. But it's difficult to pick Missouri on the road, where it is 1-5 this season, and against a team that pressures the ball so effectively. Unless the Tigers find a more comfortable ball-handler between now and tipoff, we predict turnovers will be the difference.
FINAL SCORE: Iowa State 68, Missouri 60