Both Iowa State and TCU blew big leads and lost their most recent games.
But someone will have to win Tuesday night when the Horned Frogs host the Cyclones in a Big 12 matchup at Fort Worth, Texas.
The Horned Frogs (16-6, 5-5 Big 12) were a bit a salty after surrendering a 13-point lead in Saturday’s 82-69 loss to then-No. 9 Texas Tech.
“They played harder than us in the second half,” TCU’s Mike Miles said of Texas Tech. “That’s why they won.”
Meanwhile, Iowa State (16-9, 3-9) lost control of a 15-point second-half advantage, losing 75-69 in overtime against Kansas State.
“They wanted to win more than we wanted to win,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “That’s something everyone on our team has to swallow.”
Both sides may be entering Tuesday’s tilt angry, but TCU is having the better overall campaign. The Horned Frogs, who enter the week in fifth place in the Big 12, are 9-3 at home this season, while the Cyclones are just 2-5 on the road. Iowa State has lost four straight games overall.
TCU’s Miles, who made the Big 12’s All-Freshman team last season, missed two straight games due to injury, but he returned for the Texas Tech game to score 16 points.
For the season, Miles leads TCU with a 15.4 scoring average. Chuck O’Bannon (36.3 percent) and Francisco Farabello (35.7) are TCU’s top 3-point shooters.
In his first year coaching Iowa State, Otzelberger inherited a team that went 2-22 last season, including 0-18 in the Big 12. From that disaster have come the current Cyclones, armed with six transfers.
Leading the way is Izaiah Brockington, who is coming off a 27-point game against Kansas State. The Penn State transfer leads the league with seven double-doubles and is averaging team highs in points (17.0) and rebounds (7.7).
Another Cyclones player to watch is freshman Tyrese Hunter, who leads the team in assists (4.4) and steals (1.9) while ranking second in scoring (10.8). Reserve Aljaz Kunc — a Washington State transfer — leads the Cyclones in 3-point percentage (45.2).
TCU has won eight of its past nine games against Iowa State, including an active three-game winning streak.
–Field Level Media
