3 Biggest Takeaways From Iowa State Basketball Big 12 Schedule

There are a few major takeaways for the Iowa State Cyclones from their Big 12 schedule release.

Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger speaks to reporters during Iowa State Men's Basketball media day in Ames, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. 2zb08659 Arw | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team has known for months who they'll play against during the Big 12 portion of their 2026-27 schedule thanks to the opponent matrix. Now, they know the dates of those matchups.

Iowa State has revealed its conference schedule for the upcoming season, which includes home-and-home series with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, West Virginia Mountaineers and Kansas Jayhawks.

Projected to once again be a top conference in the country, the Cyclones have some difficult spots to navigate in this schedule. Let’s take a look at the biggest takeaways for the team from their schedule release.

Multi-game road trips

Feb 1, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches his team during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger is going to have some difficult decisions to make when it comes to travel plans during the Big 12 schedule. On three separate occasions, the Cyclones will play back-to-back road games.

Will Otzelberger opt to fly back to Ames in between those games? Or will they stay on the road? It likely depends on the matchups. For example, the first back-to-back set is against the Houston Cougars and Texas Tech Red Raiders on Jan. 13 and Jan. 16. Going home may not make much sense to turn around and go back to Texas.

The other two road trips give Iowa State an extra day of rest, so going home may make some sense. They play on Feb. 6 in Morgantown against West Virginia and Feb. 10  in Stillwater against Oklahoma State.

Their final road trip is a visit to Tempe to face the Arizona State Sun Devils on Feb. 19 and to Waco to play the Baylor Bears on Feb. 23.

Killyan Toure could miss big games

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) moves the ball in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Everyone will be keeping a close eye on the status of injured guard Killyan Toure. A breakout star candidate, he is projected to miss the entire non-conference schedule after injuring his shoulder and requiring surgery.

His projected timetable for his return is January, but no specific target date has been revealed. That is potentially bad news for the Cyclones, who may not have him in the lineup against the Arizona Wildcats for the Big 12 opener on Jan. 2.

A game in Boulder against the Colorado Buffaloes and at Hilton Coliseum against the Cowboys shouldn’t be too much of an issue for Iowa State without Toure. Ideally, he is back by Jan. 13, when they start a tough stretch against Houston, Texas Tech and BYU.

Students not on campus for biggest home game

Iowa State fans cheer during the Cyclones' game against Houston at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 16, 2026, in Ames, Iowa | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Hilton Coliseum presents one of the best home-court advantages in the nation. Hilton Magic is real, with the players feeding off the fans in the stands, especially the student section.

Disappointingly, students won’t be on campus for arguably the team’s biggest home game of the season against Arizona on Jan. 2; they will still be on winter recess. They will also be student-less on Jan. 9 against Oklahoma State.

Classes don’t start until Jan. 19, so at least the students will be there for the Cougars game on Jan. 20.