Keys to Iowa State Cyclones Defeating Cincinnati Bearcats in Big 12 Clash

The Iowa state Cyclones are back at it against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Here are some keys to the game to keep an eye on.

Mar 12, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) drives to the basket around Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones were given a dose of their own medicine when they played the Kansas Jayhawks their last time out. Traveling to play Allen Fieldhouse, which has been a house of horrors for the Cyclones, turned out to be disastrous again.

Iowa State was on the wrong side of a blowout for the first time this season, losing 84-63. Their 16-game winning streak to start the season was snapped, as they did not play up to their capabilities in any facet.

The Cyclones will be looking to get back on track when they head on the road again, this time visiting the Cincinnati Bearcats. In terms of Big 12 opponents, this is as good an opportunity for Iowa State to get back on track; only the Utah Utes are lower in the NET Rankings than Cincinnati.

However, they are still ranked No. 84 despite being the second lowest in the conference. This will be no cake walk for Iowa State, who will have to bring their A-game to pick up a Big 12 road victory.

How can they get back into the win column? Here are three keys to the Cyclones defeating the Bearcats.

Get Defense Back On Track

Jan 13, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) attempts a dunk against Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) during the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

In a surprising turn of events, Iowa State struggled on the defensive end against Kansas. They weren’t as physically imposing as they normally are, allowing the Jayhawks to shoot 50% from 3-point range and 50.8% overall from the field.

If Cincinnati is able to pull off a similar performance shooting the ball, something has gone terribly wrong. Scoring has been an issue for the Bearcats all season, averaging only 73.8 points per game, which ranks 257th in the country. Their offensive rating of 102.8 ranks even worse in 306th.

This is the perfect spot for a normally stout Cyclones defense to get back on track. Ramping up the pressure and turning up the heat on a Cincinnati squad averaging more than 12 turnovers per game is a key to victory.

Remain Patient Offensively

Jan 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) drives to the basket against Baylor Bears guard Dan Skillings Jr. (0) during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

For as poor as the Bearcats are offensively, they are on the opposite end of the spectrum defensively. They give up only 65.9 points per game, which is 24th in the nation, and own an impressive 91.9 defensive rating, which is sixth.

Scoring could be at a premium in this matchup, which means Iowa State needs to value each possession. A little out of sorts against Kansas, they need to get back to their style of play on this end of the court and cut down on the turnovers.

Cincinnati ranks inside the top 75 in blocks, steals and turnovers forced as a playmaking group. Iowa State needs to stick to its principles and take care of the ball against an opportunistic Bearcats defense.

Patient offense could help the team avoid another slow start, too.

Create Rebounding Edge

Jan 13, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan (23) grabs a rebound against Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Cincinnati is a solid rebounding team, ranking 100th with 37.9 per game. They generate a lot of offensive rebounds with 8.3 per game, but their offensive rebounding rate of 29.5 ranks 226th.

Their offensive rebounding numbers and defensive rebounding numbers allowed are a little inflated because of how poorly they shoot the ball. The Cyclones need to be focused on creating second opportunities when they miss and finishing possessions defensively by securing a rebound.

Opportunities for rebounds are going to be plentiful, and creating an edge will improve Iowa State’s odds of winning the game.