PRIMER: No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Kansas

Who: Iowa State (21-3, 8-3 Big 12) vs. Kansas (19-5, 9-2 Big 12)

Where: Hilton Coliseum (14,267) – Ames, Iowa

When: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 – 12 p.m. CT

Watch: ABC // Jon Sciambi (PxP) & Fran Fraschilla (Analyst)

Listen: Cyclone Radio Network // John Walters (PxP) & Eric Heft (Analyst)

Tipping Off: After seeing its five-game winning streak snapped in Fort Worth, Iowa State returns home for the first of two Top 10 matchups over a three-day stretch against No. 9 Kansas.

Iowa State played arguably its worst game of the season last time out, as the Cyclones were held to their lowest point total in over a year by the Horned Frogs. ISU shot just 21.7% from deep and committed 17 turnovers – both the second-worst marks in a single game this season.

Kansas, meanwhile, enters Hilton riding an eight-game winning streak. The streak, coincidentally, began when they handed ISU its first loss of the season on Jan. 13. KU has beaten four top 15 teams during the eight-game streak and is coming off a win over No. 1 Arizona, as it handed the Wildcats their first loss of the season, too.

Game Note: The F-M Acro Team is a group of spirited, athletic gymnasts who specialize in entertaining crowds throughout the United States with their precision tumbling and mini-tramping. They will perform at halftime.

Storylines:

At No. 5 in the AP Top 25 Poll, Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 46 straight weeks, the fifth-longest streak in the nation. It is the second-longest streak in the Big 12 behind Houston's 120, which is the longest streak in the country.
- The Cyclones and Cougars are the only two Big 12 schools to have streaks of at least 25 weeks.
- ISU has been in the AP Top 5 for 27 weeks in program history, with 18 coming under Coach Otzelberger.
The Cyclones started the season 16-0, the best start in school history. ISU is now 21-3 for the third time in program history as it's tied for the best mark through 24 games by a Cyclone team.
In five seasons under Coach Otzelberger, the Cyclones have been known for their defense, as they have ranked as a top-15 unit in the country each year, and 2025-26 is no different (according to KenPom defensive rating).
The Cyclones had three players named to the Naismith Starting Five Midseason Top 10 Watch lists – Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson.
Joshua Jefferson has recorded two triple-doubles this season, tied for the most in the country.
- Jefferson became the first player in program history to have multiple triple-doubles in a career.
- He is just the third Big 12 player with multiple triple-doubles, but is the first to accomplish both in conference games.
Milan Momcilovic has been the nation's best marksman this season, as the junior leads the country in 3-point percentage.
- Momcilovic has six 25-plus point games so far this season for ISU.
Tamin Lipsey holds the most steals in program history and is in the top four in Big 12 history for career steals.
- He holds the most wins against Big 12 opponents by any active player.

From the Notes:

As a head coach, Otz is 215-111 overall and has guided the Cyclones to a 116-48 record over the last four years.
- He earned his 100th win at Iowa State against HOF coach Rick Pitino and No. 14 St. John's in the Players Era Championship opener on Nov. 24.
  - He was the quickest coach in school history to 100 career wins, doing so in 145 games.
- He then earned his 200th win over his mentor and former head coach Greg McDermott on Nov. 25.
- His 95 wins in his first four years at Iowa State were the most by any coach in program history in their first four years as head coach.
With its road win over No. 1 Purdue, Iowa State now has 27 wins over top 25 teams since Otzelberger took over (2021-22). That is tied for the fifth-most in the nation during that stretch.
Otz has led Iowa State to four 20-plus win seasons, joining Orr (5) and Hoiberg (4) as the only ISU coaches to do so four-plus times.
Coach Otzelberger is the only Iowa State men's basketball coach to take multiple teams to the Sweet 16.
- He was the 51st coach in NCAA Division I history to take a team to the Sweet 16 twice in his first three years on the job.
- In four postseason appearances, Otzelberger has five NCAA Tournament wins – the most by any coach in program history.
Otz currently holds the school's highest winning percentage by a head coach.
As of Wednesday, the Cyclones are ranked No. 7 in the NET. Iowa State slots in at No. 7 in the KenPom rankings and is No. 6 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

This will be the 262nd all-time meeting between Iowa State and Kansas. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series, 192-69, but the Cyclones are 3-0 in the last three games played at Hilton.
Kansas leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense at 38.3%, which is sixth nationally, 3-point field goal percentage defense at 29.6%, which is 21st nationally, and blocked shots at 6.2, which is second nationally to Georgia (6.9).
Despite losing two of its first three Big 12 games, Kansas is now 9-2 or better in conference play for the 14th time in Bill Self's 23 seasons.
KU has gone eight-straight seasons with a .500-or better record against AP Top 25 teams. This season, KU is 5-3 in such games.
The Jayhawks were picked to finish sixth out of 16 in the Big 12 men's basketball preseason poll after finishing in sixth place last season.
Kansas Head Coach Bill Self is in his 23rd year at the helm of the Jayhawk program. Self is 628-161 with KU and is 835-266 overall in his 33-year head coaching career, which began at Oral Roberts and includes stops at Tulsa and Illinois.
- The winningest coach in Kansas history, Self is 54-33 (.616) against AP Top 10 Teams at Kansas. That ranks first all-time since 1996 amongst coaches at a single school.
Kansas is ranked No. 13 in the NET. The Jayhawks are No. 12 in KenPom and No. 13 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

PRIMER: No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Kansas

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PRIMER: No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Kansas

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