Iowa State Cyclones Will Face Challenging Task Against BYU Cougars

The Iowa State Cyclones are riding high following two massive wins against the Kansas Jayhawks and the Houston Cougars. Each of these victories has helped solidify them as a contender, but they will have another tough game on Saturday night.

As the regular season starts to wind down, the Big 12 has been hit hard by injuries of late. However, this is still considered one of the best conferences in the nation with multiple teams that could win a National Championship.

For the Cyclones, their upcoming matchup on Saturday night against the BYU Cougars will be a great challenge. Despite Iowa State being one of the best teams in the country with just three losses, all of those defeats have come on the road.

The Cougars have an excellent fanbase, and it will be rocking on Saturday night. For Iowa State, they will undoubtedly be trying to prove they can win marquee road games, but this will be a tall task.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger recently spoke with William Seals of On3 about the BYU offense and their star freshman AJ Dybantsa.

“They’re a prolific offensive team. I mean, (AJ) Dybantsa, there’s not a good answer for how to guard him. It’s not a one-person job. His free-throw numbers are off the charts. His ability to create his own shot, score the basketball is at such a high, high level.”

Stopping Dybantsa Will Be a Challenge

BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa looking on — BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

As one of the best freshmen in the nation, Dybantsa is going to challenge the Iowa State defense in this game. The talented scorer is going to be one of the first picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, and he has helped lead the Cougars to a special season.

For the Cyclones, stopping him will be their top priority on defense, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to use multiple defenders on him. Likely getting a bulk of the load will be their own freshman, Killyan Toure.

The Iowa State freshman has been one of the best on-ball defenders in the nation this year, and he has the length and size to potentially slow down Dybantsa a bit. A player of his caliber is rarely completely stopped offensively but slowing him down and making him less efficient should be the goal.

Even though Richie Saunders is out for the rest of the year with a torn ACL, this BYU team is still a threat at home. With a need for a win and one of the best homecourt advantages in the nation, the Cyclones will be tested in this one.