ISU vs. Baylor - GameThread

Hey-o! Look who's got a chance to tie for the conference lead tonight!

That's right, your Iowa State Cyclones sit only a half game back of the Kansas Jayhawks now after a thrilling upset victory by Kansas State on Big Monday. If ISU wins their remaining four games (Baylor, at K-State, Oklahoma, at TCU), they are guaranteed at least a share of this year's conference championship.

However, winning those four games won't be a cakewalk. The Baylor Bears have never won a game against Iowa State in Hilton Coliseum, but that could change this evening unless the Cyclones put the pedal to the floor and go all-out. Tonight marks the beginning of the most important four game stretch Iowa State has had in a long time ... Buckle up, Cyclone fans!

Game Info

The Opponent: Baylor (20-7, 8-6)

Tip: Wednesday, 8 p.m. CST - Hilton Coliseum - Ames, Iowa

TV/Webcast: ESPNU / WatchESPN

Radio: Cyclone Radio Network

Baylor SBN Site: Our Daily Bears

What to Know

We're Talking Baylor - cylentbutdeadly reminds you that Rico Gathers is a beast, along with some other tidbits you may not know about this year's Bears.

enCYCLONEpedia: Iowa State vs. Baylor preview - Kirk Haaland breaks down the advanced stats so us math-haters don't have to.

Animals That Remind Us Of Big 12 Coaches - If you haven't seen this yet, you'll want to take a look. Trust me.

Prediction

That whole Baylor never winning in Hilton Coliseum thing? Yeah, that's a big determining factor into a lot of predictions for tonight's matchup.

But coach Scott Drew and the Bears won't let that stop them from giving the Cyclones their best shot. Baylor is looking to improve their seed come Selection Sunday, and a win in Ames would almost certainly bump them up a notch or two in the committee's mind.

To win, Iowa State is going to have to keep Baylor off the offensive glass and play solid perimeter defense. The Bears grabbed a whopping 19 offensive rebounds and made nine threes in the first matchup between these two teams. Those second chance points are a huge reason why Baylor was able to beat ISU, despite the Cyclones making 10 threes of their own and shooting a respectable 46% from the field.

In the end, I don't see a focused Iowa State squad giving Baylor their first Hilton victory tonight. I'll take the Cyclone W - and a share of first place.

Iowa State 83 - Baylor 75