Iowa State Flips the Script on Kansas with Dominant Win in Ames
What a difference a month makes.
Back on January 13, Kansas handled Iowa State in Lawrence with relative ease, kickstarting what would become an eight-game win streak. But Saturday in Ames?
That was a different story entirely - and the Cyclones made sure of it. Behind a relentless defensive effort and a sharp, focused game plan, Iowa State handed Kansas a humbling 74-56 loss, the Jayhawks’ lowest scoring output since early December.
This one wasn’t just a loss - it was a statement. And it came courtesy of a Cyclones squad that looked nothing like the team Kansas saw a few weeks ago.
“They pressured the crap out of us,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said postgame, cutting straight to the point. “They strung us out, trapped us off ball screens, and we didn’t handle it well at all.”
From the opening tip, Iowa State set the tone. Their perimeter defense was smothering, their rotations crisp, and their traps off the pick-and-roll consistently disrupted Kansas’ rhythm. The Jayhawks struggled to find any offensive flow, particularly in the first half, where ball movement stalled and driving lanes vanished under constant pressure.
Even when Kansas players found themselves open, Self noted, they were so overwhelmed by the defensive pressure that they weren’t even thinking about making the next pass - they were just trying to survive the possession.
That’s not the kind of basketball Kansas typically plays. And it’s certainly not the kind of ball that wins games in February.
To Iowa State’s credit, they essentially flipped the script from that first matchup. In Lawrence, it was the Jayhawks who dictated tempo, imposed their will defensively, and forced Iowa State into uncomfortable spots. This time around, the Cyclones returned the favor - and then some.
“Today mirrored the game in Lawrence,” Self said. “It was us in Lawrence doing that. Today it was them doing that, and we didn’t handle it very well at all.”
The loss doesn’t just snap an eight-game win streak - it also serves as a wake-up call. This is the time of year when teams start separating themselves, and Self knows adjustments are key if Kansas wants to be ready for another potential showdown with Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament or beyond.
“They were a lot better today than they were against us the first time,” Self admitted. “We caught them when they weren’t very good.
They had a terrible seven to ten days - worst stretch they’ve had this season. We were the same way coming off a stretch like that and bowed our neck that game.
They bowed their neck this game.”
That’s the nature of a long college basketball season. Peaks and valleys, momentum swings, and the constant need to evolve. The best teams find ways to respond - and Self made it clear his squad didn’t bring enough to the table in Ames.
“You can come up here and play great and not win,” he said. “But we certainly didn’t put any significant game pressure on them.”
For now, Kansas heads back to the drawing board. The Big 12 grind doesn’t let up, and neither will the defenses they’ll face.
But if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that Bill Self teams usually find a way to respond. The question now is how quickly - and how effectively - this group can bounce back.