Iowa State Cyclones Keys to Victory Against Houston Cougars on Big Monday

The Iowa State Cyclones face arguably their toughest test of the season, hosting the Houston Cougars at Hilton Coliseum.

Feb 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) grabs a rebound against Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) in the first half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones defeated the Kansas Jayhawks in their previous game, avoiding a losing streak and exacting revenge on their rivals after suffering a defeat earlier in the season.

Things won’t get any easier for the Cyclones, who are now set to host the Houston Cougars in arguably their toughest game of the season to date. The back-to-back regular season champions are once again in a great position, sitting atop the Big 12 with an 11-1 conference record.

With a 9-3 record in the Big 12, this is a great opportunity for Iowa State to close the gap. A loss here would make winning the regular-season title virtually impossible, trailing by three games and not owning the tiebreaker.

What will it take to defeat the Cougars? Here are some keys to victory for the Cyclones.

Free Throw Shooting

Jan 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Baylor Bears at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

This has been an area of concern throughout the campaign for T.J. Otzelberger’s squad. They have struggled to get to the foul line at points, and when they do get to the charity stripe, they don’t convert.

On the season, Iowa State ranks 340th in free-throw shooting, making only 67.2%. During conference play, they are even worse, making only 65.3%, which is last in the Big 12.

Converting at the foul line is going to be a big deal because, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Houston has made a league-high 78.3% of its attempts.

However, the Cyclones do a good job of limiting fouls. The Cougars do not, as they commit 18.7 fouls per game. If they keep that up, Iowa State has to make the most of their free throw attempts for easy points against an otherwise suffocating defense.

Rebounding

Iowa State Cyclones forward Dominykas Pleta (21) rebounds the ball around Kansas Jayhawks guard Jamari McDowell (11) during the first half in the Big-12 conference basketball showdown on Feb. 14, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are a lot of similarities in how these two teams play. They are both physical and aggressive, and where the tide could turn is on the glass.

Houston is a great rebounding team, especially on the offensive glass. Their 11.3 per game average in Big 12 play leads the conference. Overall, they are sixth in rebounding despite some defensive rebounding woes.

The Cyclones are more consistent on both ends, ranking fourth in offensive rebounding, fifth in defensive rebounding and fifth overall. They are No. 1 in opponent rebounding, allowing only 29.1 per game.

Whoever can create the edge in this statistic will go a long way to deciding a victory. Joshua Jefferson will be key to succeeding in this area.

Generating Turnovers

Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) and Iowa State Cyclones forward Killyan Toure (27) put high pressure on Kansas Jayhawks guard Melvin Council Jr.(14) during the first half in the Big-12 conference basketball showdown on Feb. 14, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Throughout Big 12 play, an area that Iowa State has surprisingly lacked is turnovers. They are averaging 11 per game, which is 10th in the Big 12. For the entire season, they are at 10.8, which is in the top 100 of the nation.

Ball security will be paramount against the Cougars because they are an elite turnover team on both ends of the court, ranking first in turnovers per game and opponent turnovers in the conference.

Can the Cyclones figure out a way to get them out of rhythm and force live-ball turnovers to get into the open court? Can they execute their offense and not give the same opportunities to Kelvin Sampson’s squad?

It will be a major determining factor in the outcome of the game.