Cyclones face third straight Big Monday test

AMES - For the third week in a row, a Saturday to Monday turnaround is on the docket for Iowa State.

And for the third-straight Monday, a ranked opponent awaits.

No. 14 Iowa State will take on Oklahoma for its third-straight Big Monday contest, this time in Norman, Okla. The Sooners (16-7, 7-4 Big 12) sit right behind the Cyclones (17-5, 7-3) in the Big 12 race, making tonight's matchup crucial for hopes at a regular season league championship.

'The difficult thing about Oklahoma is they run a million sets and run a million different actions and have a lot of quick hitters,” said ISU Coach Fred Hoiberg. 'This one will be a tough one.”

After Iowa State's rout of Texas Tech on Saturday in Ames, Hoiberg has a decision about the lineup on his hands. Forward Jameel McKay started in place of guard Bryce Dejean-Jones against the Red Raiders due to Dejean-Jones' late arrival to the arena on game day.

Coming off the bench for the first time this season, Dejean-Jones finished with five points and five assists. He checked in after the first media timeout, and said his ability to distribute the ball early came within the flow of the game.

'The guys started the game out really well and I just wanted to come in and keep the pace up,” Dejean-Jones said.

McKay's energy and presence from the opening tip against Texas Tech was undeniable. The 6-foot-9 junior had 17 points on 7 of 7 shooting, eight rebounds and three blocks, but it's his ability to get up the floor quickly that affects the efficiency of the ISU offense.

'He runs as fast as anyone in the country as far as the big man goes. He did his thing,” said Naz Long. 'He was blocking shots defensively, grabbed rebounds. Jameel affects the game in so many ways and that's what he did (on Saturday).”

After Kansas' loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Iowa State sits one game behind the Jayhawks in the Big 12 standings. With just two games separating the top half of the conference, stealing wins on the road becomes a point of necessity.

The Cyclones have five more opportunities to do just that starting tonight.

'Oklahoma might be playing behind Kansas as well as anybody with what they did against West Virginia and what they did at Texas,” Hoiberg said. 'They're just playing great basketball right now. It's going to be a heck of a challenge.”

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