Kansas State Wildcats vs Iowa State Cyclones Picks and Predictions March 8th 2025

No. 10 Iowa State Aims for Revenge vs. Kansas State

Two teams with plenty at stake will close out the Big 12 regular season on Saturday afternoon in Manhattan, Kan., as No. 10 Iowa State looks to avenge a Feb. 1 home loss to Kansas State.

Kansas State’s Quest for .500 in Conference Play

The Wildcats (15-15, 9-10 Big 12) are aiming to finish the Big 12 season at .500 and bolster their postseason hopes after winning their last two games. They will also celebrate Senior Day, honoring four players, including key contributors David N’Guessan (13.1 points per game), Coleman Hawkins (10.6), and Max Jones (10.0).

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Kansas State has endured a season of streaks, featuring both a six-game winning stretch and a six-game losing skid. A win Saturday could boost their chances of securing a bye in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, depending on other conference results.

The Wildcats kept their bye hopes alive with a 54-49 road victory over Cincinnati on Wednesday, overcoming a sluggish first half to lock down defensively. Kansas State limited the Bearcats to just 36.8 percent shooting and 11.1 percent from three-point range.

“We are learning that we can have struggles and success at the same time,” Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said. “I love how my guys are responding.”

A key boost came from the return of Hawkins, who missed three games with a knee injury. He contributed nine points and eight rebounds in 35 minutes against Cincinnati.

Kansas State is looking to complete a sweep of Iowa State after shocking the Cyclones with an 80-61 victory on Feb. 1, snapping then-No. 3 Iowa State’s 29-game home winning streak.

Iowa State Seeks Bounce-Back Performance

Iowa State (22-8, 12-7 Big 12) is still in contention for a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament but must finish strong. The Cyclones will also be looking to rebound from a heartbreaking 88-85 double-overtime loss to No. 23 BYU on Tuesday night.

The Cyclones trailed 54-33 with just over 13 minutes left in regulation but mounted a furious comeback to force overtime. A free throw from Joshua Jefferson with nine seconds remaining tied the game at 68, but Iowa State ultimately fell short in double OT.

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“BYU deserves lots of credit for how they played,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “But at the same time, we had our chances. That should be frustrating. So what you do is you learn from it and you become better for it.”

Despite the loss, Iowa State remains a formidable opponent. Their previous loss at home to Kansas State was a rare blemish in what has been an otherwise strong season. The Cyclones will look to reassert themselves heading into the Big 12 Tournament.

Key Matchup: Iowa State’s Defense vs. Kansas State’s Perimeter Shooting

Kansas State’s ability to hit timely three-pointers played a major role in its upset of Iowa State in February. The Cyclones must tighten up their perimeter defense to avoid another letdown.

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