No. 17 BYU Set to Face No. 12 Iowa State in Big 12 Tournament Opener
BYU Basketball, Iowa State, Big 12 Tournament… BYU basketball will begin its Big 12 Tournament journey by facing Iowa State.
Iowa State triumphed over Cincinnati on Wednesday, securing a rematch with BYU. The Cougars, who are seeded 4th, earned a double-bye in this year’s Big 12 Tournament after defeating Iowa State in double-overtime on March 4 in Ames.
BYU’s thrilling 88-85 double-overtime victory over Iowa State was one of the season’s standout games in the Big 12.
Rematch Despite committing 29 turnovers, Kevin Young’s team secured the win.
After the game in Ames last week, Young was asked about the prospect of a rematch against the Cyclones in Kansas City. His immediate response was, “Don’t turn the ball over.”
He later added, “As a competitor, that’s what you look forward to—being able to right some of the wrongs from that game. It’ll be a big-time game.”
“Iowa State is a good program. They came out strong at the start of the game,” Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson said on Wednesday. “We need to come out with urgency tomorrow to get the job done.”
The win in Ames marked a key victory in an eight-game stretch where BYU played some of its best basketball entering the postseason.
BYU is solidly in the NCAA Tournament as an at-large pick, and Iowa State is in the same position.
Stacking Days This raises questions about how much the event means for the surging BYU. Young’s focus is on continuing to stack more days, a rallying cry for his program this season.
“I know it sounds cliché, but it’s truly been our mantra, taking things game by game, day by day. That approach won’t change for me,” Young said.
Since joining the Big 12, BYU is 2-1 against Iowa State. This will be their first matchup with T.J. Otzelberger’s Cyclones in Kansas City. Iowa State has claimed five of the last 10 Big 12 Tournament titles, including the most recent one.
“We have a lot of respect for their program. They’re playing at a high level,” Otzelberger said of BYU on Wednesday. “They came into our arena, played well, and earned a win. We’ll prepare just like we do for every game, focusing on controlling what we can control and being at our best tomorrow.”
Injury updates will be crucial to monitor for Iowa State heading into Thursday’s Quarterfinal matchup.
Injury Report Ahead of BYU/Iowa State Game Iowa State’s Keshon Gilbert, dealing with a muscle strain, played 11 minutes in the win over Cincinnati on Wednesday. None of those minutes came in the second half.
Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey also sustained a minor groin injury but said Wednesday he “should be able to go” against BYU.
Regarding Gilbert, Otzelberger stated, “We’ll evaluate him tonight and again in the morning to see what he can do.”
BYU has been without freshman forward Kanon Catchings due to a knee injury for the last two games, and he remains day-to-day.
No. 17 BYU vs. No. 12 Iowa State
Quarterfinals – 2025 Big 12 Tournament
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Tip-off: 10:30 a.m. (MDT)/11:30 a.m. (CDT)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM – Extended pregame begins at 9 a.m.)