Kansas Falls to Iowa State: Turnovers, Rebounding Woes, and a Second-Half Cyclone Storm
Kansas walked into Hilton Coliseum on Saturday with a chance to build momentum. Instead, they walked out with more questions than answers after a 74-56 loss to Iowa State that saw the Jayhawks struggle to find rhythm offensively and get overwhelmed on the glass.
A 10-point halftime deficit ballooned to 24 in the second half before a brief Kansas push cut it to 12. But the Cyclones slammed the door shut with a flurry of threes and defensive pressure that KU simply couldn’t match.
Let’s break down the key takeaways from a tough road loss.
Melvin Council Jr. Brings the Fire Again on the Road
If there’s been one consistent bright spot for Kansas away from Allen Fieldhouse, it’s Melvin Council Jr. Once again, he stepped up when the Jayhawks needed a spark.
After a sluggish offensive start, Council caught fire midway through the first half, drilling three straight threes-two of them tightly contested, one coming off crisp ball movement for a clean look. That personal 9-2 run pulled KU back into the game and briefly gave them life.
Council didn’t stop there. Just moments after his scoring burst, he connected with Flory Bidunga on a lob that brought some energy back to the Kansas bench. It was a reminder of the kind of dynamic playmaking Council can bring when he’s in rhythm.
Here’s what’s particularly interesting: Council’s shooting splits are significantly better on the road than at home. After his trio of threes in Ames, his road three-point percentage ticked up to 43.9%-a sharp contrast to his 29% clip at home.
He’s now hit 18 threes away from home this season, half of which came in that wild game against NC State. While he cooled off in the second half-adding a few buckets in the paint-his overall line (15 points, 6-of-11 shooting, five boards, four assists) was one of the few positives for KU on the day.
Iowa State’s Pressure and Energy Took Over
Hilton Coliseum has long had a reputation as one of the toughest places to play in the Big 12, and Saturday was no exception. The crowd was loud, the Cyclones were flying around, and Kansas looked rattled.
Late in the first half, Iowa State cranked up the heat defensively and KU couldn’t handle it. A 21-7 run to close the half flipped a close game into a double-digit deficit.
From the 4:49 to 1:23 mark, Kansas went ice cold-missing three straight shots and coughing up three straight turnovers. It wasn’t just good defense from ISU; it was also sloppy play from the Jayhawks.
Misfired passes, fumbled catches, and missed assignments added up quickly.
The rebounding battle was just as lopsided. Iowa State outworked Kansas on the glass in the first half, holding an 18-13 edge overall and a staggering 8-1 advantage on the offensive boards.
That kind of disparity leads directly to second-chance points-and momentum swings. KU couldn’t string together stops because they couldn’t finish possessions, and ISU made them pay.
The Cyclones Caught Fire from Deep When It Mattered Most
Coming into the game, Iowa State hadn’t exactly been lighting it up from deep-just 25% from three over their previous four contests. In the first half, that trend looked like it might continue, with the Cyclones managing just three makes from long range on 16 attempts. But this is a team that came into the matchup ranked top-10 nationally in three-point efficiency for a reason-and they reminded everyone why in the second half.
Milan Momcilovic, the nation’s leader in three-point rate at 52%, had a quiet first half from beyond the arc. That didn’t last.
Within the first 90 seconds of the second half, he knocked down back-to-back threes that set the tone for what was to come. He finished with four triples in the second half alone, pouring in a game-high 18 points and sparking a Cyclone run that KU never recovered from.
As a team, Iowa State shot 8-for-14 from deep in the second half, effectively putting the game out of reach. Kansas simply couldn’t match the firepower. While KU shot a respectable 33% from three, they attempted 12 fewer shots from beyond the arc and couldn’t keep up once ISU started connecting.
Final Thoughts
This was a game where Kansas showed flashes-especially through Council’s first-half surge-but the overall performance left a lot to be desired. Turnovers, rebounding, and defensive lapses continue to be areas of concern, especially against high-energy, physical teams like Iowa State.
The Jayhawks have the talent, but if they’re going to make a serious run in March, they’ll need to clean up the fundamentals and find more consistent production across the board. The Big 12 won’t offer many breathers, and Saturday was a reminder that every possession matters-especially on the road.