Iowa State Cyclones Should Not Worry After Suffering First Loss to Kansas Jayhawks

The Iowa State Cyclones should not be worried about their first loss of the season.

Jan 13, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) loses control of the ball while driving against Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) and guard Jamari McDowell (11) during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones suffered their first loss of the season on the road to the Kansas Jayhawks. Even though it stings, the program should still be very optimistic about the future. 

It was clearly an off night for the Cyclones on Tuesday, and it was a game that the Jayhawks needed to have. Kansas came into the year with high expectations and potentially the best player in the country in freshman Darryn Peterson. 

The talented freshman guard has been in and out of the lineup with injuries, and that has undoubtedly contributed to the struggles of the program at times. Coming into the game, this was a team with an 11-5 record overall and a 1-2 record in the Big 12. With this being a home game against the number two team in the nation, it was a game that they had to win. 

Right from the start, Kansas was clearly the better team on Tuesday and also the team that wanted it more. While it is tough to say that the team was desperate to win this one in the middle of January, they certainly played like they were. 

Cyclones Shouldn’t Worry

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Even though it was a blowout loss and a bad performance for Iowa State, the likelihood of them being able to run the table in the Big 12 was extremely low. Playing in Allen Fieldhouse is one of the most challenging places in the country to perform at your best, and the team continued their struggles there. 

In the loss, there weren’t many bright spots for Iowa State, but the performance of Jamarion Batemon off the bench was one of them. He was able to total 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field and provided a little bit of a spark. 

What was shocking to see was that the excellent trio of Milan Momcilovic, Tamin Lipsey, and Joshua Jefferson all struggled in this one. That hasn’t happened very often this season, and it is easy to understand why this one got out of hand quickly. 

Iowa State will be getting a little bit of an extended break before they head back on the road Saturday against the Cincinnati Bearcats. As the Cyclones have found out, road games in the Big 12 are not easy, but this will present them with a chance to regroup and bounce back. Following their first loss of the campaign, it will be interesting to see how they respond.