It might not seem like it, but this is the biggest game of the year for Iowa State. A win is expected. A loss goes a long ways towards popping the NCAA bubble. That being said, Iowa State has some milestones to hit. A twenty win season. Ten wins in conference. Another sweep of a conference opponent. The race for the third seed. This is the latest we have played meaningful basketball since 2005. It's pretty freakin' sweet.

We still have four games left for every Big 12 team, but we already essentially know the approximate seed of most teams. Missouri and Kansas will be the top two seeds. Baylor will likely be three or four. Iowa State will likely be three through six, while Kansas State and Texas are likely looking at four through six. The rest of the teams will likely fall in order. Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas, however, have the most power to make a meaningful move.

Monday, February 20

Baylor @ Texas (ESPN) 8 PM

Tuesday, February 21

Kansas State @ Missouri (ESPN2) 6 PM

Wednesday, February 22

Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma (Big 12 Network) 7 PM

Texas Tech @ Iowa State (ESPNU) 8 PM

Kansas @ Texas A&M (ESPN2) 8 PM

Saturday, February 25

Iowa State @ Kansas State (Big 12 Network) 12:30 PM

Oklahoma @ Baylor (Big 12 Network) 12:30 PM

Texas A&M @ Oklahoma State (ESPN2) 1 PM

Missouri @ Kansas (CBS) 3 PM

Texas @ Texas Tech (Big 12 Network) 3 PM

Bonus Big 12 Games

West Virginia @ Notre Dame (ESPN2) 6 PM - February 22

TCU @ Air Force (mtn.) 7 PM - February 22

Marquette @ West Virginia (ESPN) 8 PM - February 24

New Mexico @ TCU (mtn.) 6 PM - February 25

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We lost at Baylor. It happens. They are a top ten team and that loss won't move the needle much. Today is actually much more important. If we want to stay on the good side of the NCAA bubble, this is a must win game. We're more talented than OU and already beat the Sooners on the road. We need this one.

It's like Big Monday, but on a channel you probably don't have. Iowa State heads into Waco after positively slapping around Texas A&M. The Bears, on the other hand, are reeling. Throw in the fact that Scott Drew is....ehh...just not that good of a coach, and there's a real chance at Iowa State giving Baylor some trouble tonight. Baylor stuck in a zone quite a bit against Mizzou on Saturday, and the Tigers scorched them from behind the arc. Iowa State is certainly talented enough to do the same. Oh, and if we can pull something off here, we don't have to hear that word that ends in "ubble" for a little while. Third place all to ourselves would be nice too.

I would never assert that any coach should go unquestioned even if he is the "the Mayor" of Ames; especially when he still has less than two years of coaching on his resume. However, at the beginning of the year many found it curious that he would dub Scott Christopherson as the starting point guard for the first handful of games. There was some good and some bad but it was largely a struggle as the team mis-stepped its way to an identity.

Alas, roles switched and Chris Allen took over responsibilities as the primary ball handler and some improvements seemed to be made. There was the occasional quick shot from Allen that left fans shaking their heads but he is a better ball handler and he was able to get the Cyclones in their offense a little more efficiently.

Early in conference play Christopherson excelled and the early season point guard experiment seemed to help his confidence with the ball in his hands. He was dishing out more assists than he ever had in his career and getting to the free throw line four times per game, more than double that of his previous career highs.

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Consider today "Operation Regain Swagger". The game at Oklahoma State never really got going for us. Whatever. That game didn't and won't kill us. A loss today would hurt the Cyclones a lot more. Thankfully, we're in Hilton Coliseum. Let's send the Aggies out of Hilton as losers one last time. On our way to an NCAA bid, of course.

The Cyclones last won at Gallagher-Iba Arena in March of 1988. However, if we are to continue our torture of Oklahoma State University this academic year, we'll need another big performance from our "Road Dogs". Stillwater obviously has never been an easy place for Iowa State, but, just like Saturday's contest in Norman, this is a game that NCAA teams find a way to win.

What a difference a year makes. A year ago, Iowa State sat at 14-10 and 1-8 in the Big 12. We would win just twice more. Right now, we're sitting in fourth place, one game out of first. Meaningful games in February? Not since 2005. Iowa State is officially a major player in the Big 12 Conference race and the NCAA tournament race as well.

Big 12 Games this week:

Monday, February 6

Missouri @ Oklahoma (ESPNU) 6 PM

Texas @ Texas A&M (ESPN) 8 PM

Tuesday, February 7

Iowa State @ Oklahoma State (ESPN2) 6 PM

Texas Tech @ Kansas State (Big 12 Network) 7 PM

Wednesday, February 8

Kansas @ Baylor (ESPN2) 6 PM

Saturday, February 11

Baylor @ Missouri (Big 12 Network) 12:30 PM

Kansas State @ Texas (ESPN) 1 PM

Oklahoma State @ Kansas (Big 12 Network) 3 PM

Texas A&M @ Iowa State (Big 12 Network) 3 PM

Oklahoma @ Texas Tech (TTSN) 7 PM

Bonus Big 12 Games

TCU @ SMU 7 PM - February 8

Notre Dame @ West Virginia (ESPNU) 8 PM - February 8

Louisville @ West Virginia (ESPN) 11 AM - February 11

Colorado State @ TCU (mtn.) 7:30 PM - February 11

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