Iowa State Cyclones Will Be Challenged by Two Talented Players from Colorado

Which two players could cause some problems for the Iowa State Cyclones in their upcoming matchup?

Jan 2, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches his team play the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

It was a great week for the Iowa State Cyclones following a bit of a slip-up on the road. Now, as winners of two straight games, they will be seeking to continue to build momentum. 

Following two comfortable victories over the UCF Knights and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Cyclones were able to bounce back nicely last week and start to regain some momentum for the program. 

After dropping to ninth in the AP Poll, Iowa State moved back up one spot following the nice week, and this week, they will be hoping to continue to rise. With the schedule being a little odd this week, the Cyclones will be playing on Thursday and a rare Sunday game. 

On Thursday, Iowa State will be back at home against the Colorado Buffaloes in a game that they should be able to win. However, despite the Buffaloes not being an elite team in the conference, they do have a couple of guards that the Cyclones will have to keep their eye on. 

Cyclones’ head coach T.J. Otzelberger recently spoke with William Seals of On3 about their upcoming matchup against the Buffaloes and highlighted the strong guard play that the program has. 

“I think with Colorado, the way their guards, they’re aggressive and attacking, the way (Isaiah) Johnson’s been playing as a freshman has been terrific. I know there are so many great freshmen in the league, but he’s really stepped up in a major way.”

Cyclones Have Talent to Disrupt Good Guard Play 

Iowa State Cyclones forward Killyan Toure | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Good guard play is always key in college basketball, and it can be the great equalizer. Iowa State has been extremely fortunate to have an excellent duo in their backcourt with Tamin Lipsey and freshman Killyan Toure. Even though there has been a ton of attention on some of the superstar freshmen in the Big 12, Toure has quietly had a great season and is a player who is improving. 

This duo is going to have their hands full guarding the combination of Isaiah Johnson and Barrington Hargress. These two are the leading scorers so far this season, with Johnson leading the way at 16.2 points per game. Currently, both have been shooting the ball very efficiently from beyond the arc, with each over 40% this year. 

Both Lipsey and Toure are excellent defenders, and setting the tone against the guards of Colorado will be key. If they are able to slow them down and contain them a bit, the Cyclones should be able to keep their winning streak alive. This will be a nice little test of the backcourt of Iowa State, and it is one that they should pass.