Iowa State ready to face No. 12 Baylor to begin Big 12 men’s basketball play

AMES — There’s exactly one area in Saturday’s Big 12 men’s basketball opener between Iowa State and 12th-ranked Baylor that will be a Top 25 matchup: Turnover percentage.

The Cyclones (9-2) lead the nation, according to KenPom, in forcing turnovers at a rate of 31.0 percent. The Bears (10-2) rank 24th in that statistical category at 24.1 percent, so ball handlers best beware and take care as the two teams meet to begin conference play for the second straight season.

“It’s kind of hard to get them out of their rhythm, so you want to take them out of their rhythm to start the game,” said ISU senior guard Caleb Grill, who is tied for third on his team in steals at 1.5 per game. “Hopefully that gives us an advantage on the defensive end.”

The Cyclones will need that against a Baylor team that ranks 19th nationally with 119 made 3-pointers in 12 games, a 9.9 per-game average. But the balanced Bears are multi-dimensional on offense, combining hyper-efficient production down low with elite offensive rebounding ability.

Veteran guards Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer are shooting 50.8 and 37.1 percent, respectively, from beyond the arc, so ISU’s defense will have to be strong both inside and out.

“They’re better than anybody we’ve played to this point in terms of their guards,” Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “Three guys in their starting lineup are making 2 1/2 to three 3s a game. It’s impressive and they do a great job when they’re comfortable.”

ISU’s ongoing mission: Make the opposition extremely uncomfortable on the offensive end, no matter the level of competition, regardless of the venue. That’s how Otzelberger turned the program around in his first season and it’s why the Cyclones believe they’re poised for another potential NCAA tournament run this season.

“We’ve got to dictate defensively,” Otzelberger said. “... We can’t leave guys on an island, one-on-one, because their guys are very good at creating.”

And ISU will be without one of its most important guys Saturday and beyond. Otzelberger announced Thursday the Cyclones’ leading rebounder, Aljaz Kunc, will be out up to a month because of a broken finger sustained during a recent practice. He also noted Kunc’s injury should open up more opportunities for others.

“Jazz is somebody that certainly we’ve counted on in terms of being able to make shots and help facilitate offense,” Otzelberger said. “At the same time, I’d say probably his greatest value comes defensively and being our best rebounder. So what it does is it opens the door for guys like Tre King, Demarion Watson and Hason Ward to step up into opportunities they have.”

Watson and Ward already have sparked the Cyclones off the bench during non-conference play. King, a recently-eligible transfer forward, scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in a 73-57 win over Western Michigan 13 days ago.

Winter break — in terms of basketball, at least — is over. Now it’s time to begin an 18-game round-robin grind that begins with another ranked foe before a sellout crowd at Hilton Coliseum.

“You’re kind of itching to play, to get back to competing and going out there to play with your brothers,” ISU’s leading scorer, Jaren Holmes, said.

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