PROHMBALL VIII: Iowa State vs. Iowa Game Thread

Game Info

The Opponent: Iowa Hawkeyes (7-2, 0-0)

Tip: Thursday, 6:30 p.m. CST - Hilton Coliseum - Ames, Iowa

TV/Webcast: ESPN2 (Mark Neely, PxP; Fran Fraschilla, Color) / WatchESPN

Radio: Cyclone Radio Network (John Walters, PxP; Eric Heft, Color)

Iowa SB Nation Site: Black Heart Gold Pants

What to Know

Recap: BULLS HIT by a Cyclone, Niang Leads ISU to Win - Georges Niang put the team on his back and scored a career-high 31 points in a 84-63 win over Buffalo.

We're Talking Iowa - Cylentbutdeadly says the matchups favor Iowa State, but the Cyclones should be weary of Iowa's ability to fill it up from deep.

WRNL Interrogates: Black Heart Gold Pants - RossWB from BHGP stopped by yesterday to answer some questions about the Hawkeyes.

Dispatches From Blogfrica: WRNL Talks Iowa-Iowa State Basketball - Meanwhile, yours truly provided some answers for BHGP in return.

Iowa-Iowa St. Preview - Niang thinks the Hawks are going to come in and try to make tonight's outcome a bloodbath in return for ISU's big victory in Carver-Hawkeye Arena last year.

Prediction

The key matchups in this game are going to be great to watch. Monte Morris vs. Mike Gesell, Georges Niang vs. Jarrod Uthoff and Jameel McKay vs. Adam Woodbury figure to be appointment television. Last season, Iowa State trounced the Hawkeyes 90-75 in Iowa City without the services of Jameel McKay or Bryce Dejean-Jones. Personally, I can't wait to see McKay go up against Woodbury in the post. Woodbury has a few inches on McKay, but there's no question that the Cyclones' big man is the more athletic of the two.

While Iowa loses their best player from last year's team in Aaron White, the Hawkeyes have made up for his departure as a team. They're one of the best passing squads in the country, and if they make a shot from the field, it was probably off an assist.

The only way I see ISU losing tonight is if they have an uncharacteristically ice-cold night shooting the ball. The Cyclones aren't "live and die by the 3" any more, but they're still going to need to make shots from long range to keep men's basketball bragging rights in the state of Iowa.

I foresee this being a close game throughout with Iowa State knocking down their free throws late to beat their in-state rival.

Iowa State 92, Iowa 83