Iowa State-Kansas men’s basketball preview

▪ WHEN/WHERE: 8 p.m. Monday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence

▪ TV/RADIO: ESPN; KCSP (610 AM)

▪ ABOUT IOWA STATE (16-4, 6-2 Big 12): After defeating Kansas at Hilton Coliseum on Jan. 17, the Cyclones have gone 3-1, dropping a road game at Big 12 bottom-feeder Texas Tech. Iowa State has been a different team on the road in Big 12 play. The Cyclones are just 1-2 on the road in conference play. Iowa State continues to have one of the nation’s most dangerous offensive units. The Cyclones rank seventh nationally in offensive efficiency, averaging 1.17 points per possession. Iowa State can score from all five spots on the floor, and in the first matchup with Kansas, junior big man Jameel McKay came off the bench and finished with 11 points. But the Cyclones’ defense can be vulnerable. After 20 games, they rank 115th nationally in defensive efficiency. Iowa State has won two straight against Kansas, counting last season’s victory in the Big 12 tournament. If the Cyclones win Monday, they will become the first Big 12 team to beat Kansas three straight times in the Bill Self era. The last Big 12 team to beat KU three straight: Iowa State, which won five straight against Kansas during 1999-2001.

▪ ABOUT KANSAS (18-3, 7-1 Big 12): Sophomore wing Brannen Greene struggled to find consistent playing time during the non-conference slate, but he’s been an offensive weapon during conference play. After drilling three of four from three-point range against K-State on Saturday, Greene is shooting 61.9 percent on threes in eight Big 12 games. For the season, Greene is shooting 50 percent (27 of 54) from long distance, which is close to a record pace at Kansas. The KU record for season three-point percentage is 50.5, set by Kirk Hinrich in 2000-01. While KU’s offense is playing better, the Jayhawks’ defense has tightened up as well. After holding K-State to just 33.3 percent shooting Saturday, Kansas has limited its last four opponents (Oklahoma, Texas, TCU and K-State) to a combined 35.8 percent shooting from the floor. As a result, the Jayhawks now rank 29th nationally in defensive efficiency. Kansas also has 19 blocked shots in its last two games. Entering Monday, the Jayhawks have won nine straight against Iowa State at Allen Fieldhouse.

This story was originally published February 1, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Iowa State-Kansas men’s basketball preview."