PRIMER: No. 7 Iowa State vs. Baylor

Who: Iowa State (20-2, 7-2 Big 12) vs. Baylor (13-9, 3-7 Big 12)

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

When: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 – 1 p.m. CT

Watch: ESPN // Dave Flemming (PxP) & Sean Farnham (Analyst)

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

Tipping Off: Iowa State will return to the confines of Hilton Coliseum this weekend to host Baylor in its first home contest of February. The Cyclones will look to complete a regular-season sweep of the Bears for just the third time.

The Cyclones have won four straight contests, three of which have come by 30 or more points. Last time out, the Cyclones handed K-State a 34-point home loss to earn the largest conference road win in program history.

Baylor enters Saturday's contest riding a win streak of its own, as the Bears have claimed victory in their last two outings. On Wednesday, BU earned its largest conference win since Jan. 7 of last year, beating Colorado by 19.

Game Note: We ask that all Iowa State fans attending dress in their best white Cyclone gear, as Saturday's contest is a whiteout.

Storylines:

At No. 7 in the AP Top 25 Poll, Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 45 straight weeks, the fifth-longest streak in the nation. It is the second-longest streak in the Big 12 behind Houston's 119, 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.
The Cyclones started the season 16-0, the best start in school history. ISU moved to 20-2 for the first time in program history, the best mark through 22 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 214-110 overall and has guided the Cyclones to a 115-47 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 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 Thursday, the Cyclones are ranked No. 5 in the NET. Iowa State slots in at No. 4 in the KenPom rankings and is No. 5 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

Switching Sides:

This will be the 52nd all-time meeting between Iowa State and Baylor. The Cyclones lead the all-time series, 26-25, and the Cyclones are 16-6 against BU in Hilton Coliseum.
Baylor is one of just three teams to win an NCAA Tournament game every year since 2019 (as well as Gonzaga & Houston).
The Bears are the only school in the nation with five consecutive top-19 draft picks in the last five years.
BU struggled in the first month of conference play, but the Bears are one of just two teams to own 10-plus wins in Big 12 play over the last five seasons.
Baylor is 35-30 against ranked teams over the last seven years and is 18-21 on the road against ranked foes.
The Bears were picked to finish seventh out of 16 in the Big 12 men's basketball preseason poll after finishing tied for seventh last season.
Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew is in his 23rd year at the helm of the Bear program. Drew is 477-268 with BU and is 497-279 overall in his 24-year head coaching career, which began at Valparaiso in 2002.
- Drew is tied as the sixth-longest tenured coach in Division I and is one of just seven active coaches with at least 450 career wins.
As of Thursday, Baylor is ranked No. 48 in the NET. The Wildcats are No. 47 in KenPom and No. 42 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

PRIMER: No. 7 Iowa State vs. Baylor

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PRIMER: No. 7 Iowa State vs. Baylor

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