Big 12 Men's Basketball Game of the Weekend: No. 3 Iowa State vs. Texas Tech

A clash of two top teams in the Big 12 will go down on Saturday in Lubbock.

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T. J. Otzelberger greets Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball head coach Grant McCasland before the game in the Big-12 conference showdown of a NCAA college basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 17, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Big 12 has fielded one of the nation's best men's basketball conferences. Four Big 12 teams are represented in the AP Top 25: Iowa State (3), Kansas (11), Houston (12), and West Virginia (21). As conference play is in full swing, the weekend slate will be filled with competitive and exciting games. There are seven games on Saturday and one game on Sunday. Here is the game everyone should be following:

No. 3 Iowa State vs Texas Tech (United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock) 1:00 ESPN

Of all the games this weekend, this matchup is certainly the most intriguing. The Cyclones have proved they're one of the nation's top teams. They have obliterated their opponents and have roared to a 3-0 start in Big 12 play with wins over Colorado, Baylor, and Utah. Their average margin of victory in those games is 17. Iowa State's lone loss this season came against No. 2 Auburn back in November.

Texas Tech had a couple tough non-conference losses to St. Josephs and Texas A&M but have since recovered winning four of their last five games. They come into this game 11-3 with a 2-1 conference record. The Red Raiders lost to UCF by four but came up with impressive wins over Utah and BYU.

The last time these two teams met up just once last year with Iowa State winning 82-74. The Cyclones have struggled to win in Lubbock, as they've lost four in a row.

Grant McCasland has an elite Texas Tech offense. The Red Raiders are first in the conference in FG% (51.2) and second in 3-PT% (39.4). However, Iowa State has one of the top defenses in the Big 12. They are second in the conference in opponent PPG (61.5). Those two components will be fun to watch clash on Saturday.

It's also worth noting that neither team turns the ball over a lot. Both teams are in the top four in the Big 12 in fewest turnovers per game. I expect this game to be tight and a couple costly turnovers could be the difference in this game.

Both teams also have multiple 15 a game scorers. Iowa State is led by Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert who each average 16 points per game. JT Toppin is the leading scorer for Texas Tech, who nearly averages a double double per game with 17 points and nine rebounds.

This game has it all with elite offense paired with stellar defensive play. A win for Iowa State would mean a hard fought victory on the road in a loud environment. A win for Texas Tech would certainly turn some heads and establish themselves as a top team in the conference.

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