Iowa State vs Kansas GameThread

Big Monday. Brent Musberger. Fran Fraschilla. National ESPN audience. #8 Iowa State. #15 Kansas. The only thing bigger would be if the conference title was on the line tonight, but it's pretty damn close.

Iowa State comes in to this game after losing their first game of the season this past Saturday to Oklahoma, but more importantly the health of DeAndre Kane will be the biggest storyline tonight. Kane was on a tear this past week after nearly posting a triple double against Baylor and struggled at times in Norman but kept the team in the game throughout.

Will Kane be healthy enough to play? Sources say yes. But will he be effective? Kansas comes in hot after a thumping of Kansas State on Saturday and it looks like this young team is beginning to round in to shape. Andrew Wiggins will no doubt draw Dustin Hogue. Yet it might be Wayne Selden Jr who creates fits for the Cyclone defense. Kane is the man that would draw him on a normal night, but how will his injury impact the match up? No one else on Iowa State's roster can match up with Selden except possibly Naz Long.

As mentioned earlier, this game is huge as the winner puts themselves in control of the conference and gains another win in a front loaded schedule. For Iowa State, they are 2-0 all-time against Kansas when ranked higher. For Kansas, they are seeking their 10th straight conference championship after a slow start in the non-conference and a win over a Top 10 team on the road will give this young squad loads of confidence.

Grab a beer, buckle up, and cross your fingers for a clean back and forth game.

Time: 8:00 PM CST

TV: ESPN (Pxp: Brent Musberger, Color: Fran Fraschilla, Sideline: Holly Rowe)

Radio: Cyclone Radio Network (Pxp: John Walters, Drunk Uncle Color: Eric Heft)

Line: Iowa State -2.5