The rivalry is renewed.
Iowa State men’s basketball (7-1) is headed for Iowa City to take on rival Iowa (7-2) in this year’s edition of the Cy-Hawk game on Thursday night.
Last time out, the Hawkeyes lost a close road game to top 25-ranked Michigan on Saturday, 85-83.
Meanwhile, No. 3 Iowa State enters on a four-game winning streak. The Cyclones dismantled Jackson State in their previous outing on Sunday, winning 100-58.
The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series, 48-29.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. The game will also be available to watch on Fox Sports 1.
Here are three things to watch for in Thursday’s Cy-Hawk game.
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A fast start will be crucial
In the last four seasons, both teams have traded lopsided wins.
There hasn’t been much drama in any of these recent meetings. The last four games were decided by 19 or more points. If it wasn’t decided in the first 10 minutes, the winning team certainly built a big lead by halftime and coasted through the second half to the final buzzer.
Last year, Iowa State won, 90-65. The Cyclones built a double-digit lead through the first 10 minutes of action, which eventually ballooned to a 47-29 halftime advantage.
A season before that, the Hawkeyes raced out to a 24-4 lead, before beating Iowa State, 75-56.
Will that pattern continue on Thursday?
KenPom projects Iowa State as a 69% favorite to win by a final score of 83-78. However, this rivalry hasn’t seen a game decided by single digits since the Cyclones defeated the Hawkeyes at home, 84-78, in 2017.
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Hawkeyes’ offensive balance
In the six years before this season, the Hawkeyes ranked in the top 20 in the nation for offensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Entering Thursday, they are below this mark, but at 34th in the country, they’re still nothing to take lightly.
Saturday’s loss to Michigan was Iowa’s first true test this season. It won a buzzer-beater against Northwestern last week, their only other game against a power-conference opponent.
The Hawkeyes had a late push Saturday and had a chance to snag a road win in the closing seconds, but the Wolverines were able to hold on. Expect that same type of resiliency on Thursday, especially for a rivalry game.
Sophomore forward Owen Freeman leads the Hawkeyes with 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He is shooting 64.4% overall.
Experienced veteran Payton Sandfort is right behind, at 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. His shooting has been spotty, though, with a 38.6% mark and only a 31.5% 3-point percentage.
Josh Dix (13.4 points per game) and Pryce Sandfort (10.0 points per game) are also averaging in double figures. Brock Harding isn’t too far behind at 9.4 points per game.
As is true with Fran McCaffery’s teams over the years, these Hawkeyes love to share the ball, strike in transition and limit turnovers. They boast an assist rate of 60.2%, which ranks 30th in the country.
Free throws have been a glaring issue. This year’s Hawkeyes are on pace to be McCaffery’s least-efficient free-throw shooting team since his arrival at Iowa in the 2010-11 season. Iowa is converting on just 66.0% of foul shots and in that close loss to Michigan, the Hawkeyes shot just 10-of-17 (58.8%) from the charity stripe.
The Hawkeyes have had a low turnover rate this season, but will they be able to withstand the high-pressure Cyclone defense?
Last year, Iowa State forced Iowa to commit a season-high 19 turnovers in the lopsided Cyclone victory.
Iowa is vulnerable to an interior attack
The Cyclones have a lot of different ways to attack the basket, whether it’s through their frontcourt with the one-two punch of Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson, or if it’s through their crafty, athletic guards slashing their way inside.
Iowa ranks 326th out of 364 Division I teams for two-point shooting percentage allowed. The Hawkeyes have given up a 56.7% clip inside the arc to their opponents.
This is an area where Iowa State has thrived this season, especially behind Keshon Gilbert, who has been on a tear since the start of the Maui Invitational. The Cyclones are one of the most efficient teams inside the arc, shooting 59.9% (15th-best in the country) this season.
Both teams like to turn up the pressure, so ball security will be pivotal. The Cyclones have proven they can handle it, and they have played a tougher slate so far. Their turnover rate of 12.9% is the fourth-best mark in the country.
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 vs. Iowa basketball preview: 3 things to watch for Cyclones
