Cyclones Face Vanderbilt In SEC/Big 12 Challenge

Follow Iowa State Men's Basketball on Facebook and Twitter (@CycloneMBB)

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State (13-6, 5-3 Big 12) steps out of conference play Saturday and hits the road to face Vanderbilt (9-11, 3-5 SEC) in a SEC/Big 12 Challenge game.

Where: Nashville, Tenn. - Memorial Gym (14,316)
When: Saturday, Jan. 28, 3 p.m. (CST)
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/TuneIn Radio App
Talent: John Walters (PxP), Eric Heft (Color)
TV: ESPN2
Talent: Dave Neal (PxP), John Sundvold (Color)
Webcast: WatchESPN
Sirius/XM: 145/190 - Vanderbilt broadcast
Live Stats: Available at Cyclonestats.com

Game #20-Vanderbilt
• ISU travels to Nashville, Tennessee for a SEC/Big 12 Challenge game against Vanderbilt Saturday afternoon...ISU is 2-1 in the challenge (beat Auburn (2013) & Arkansas (2014); lost at Texas A&M (2016))...ISU is 4-3 all-time in conference challenges (2-2 Big 12/Pac-10; 2-1 SEC/Big 12).
#CycloneNotes
• ISU has suffered six losses, with four of them coming to teams (Kansas, Baylor, Gonzaga, Cincinnati) that are ranked in the top-20, including three in the top-10, and own a combined record of 74-5...ISU has lost those four games by a total of 9 points.
• Iowa State is one of eight schools that hasn't suffered a 15-point loss since the start of the 2015-16 season (under Steve Prohm)...the streak actually dates back to 2013-14 (101 games)...since beginning of 2014-15, only four schools haven't lost by 15+ points.
• ISU ranks among KenPom.com's top 50 in both adjusted offensive efficiency (48) and defensive efficiency (17)...in the KenPom era (since 2001-02), its the best defensive efficiency since 2005 (10)...the Cyclones are No. 24 in KenPom's rankings.
• ISU, which ranks among the nation's top-20 teams in steals per game (8.5), is averaging 11.7 steals the last six games, which included 18 at Oklahoma...the Cyclones have had at least 10 steals in five of the last six...Monté Morris has 16 steals the last six games...four players have at least 10 steals in this stretch.
• ISU continues to rank among the nation's top teams in taking care of the basketball...the Cyclones average 10.3 turnovers per game, which leads the Big 12 and is sixth nationally...ISU's turnover percentage of 14.0 ranks second nationally...ISU's turnover margin (+5.5) is third nationally, with the Cyclones ranking among the top-20 in steals per game (8.5).
• In conference action, ISU leads the Big 12 with 9.4 three-pointers made per game...the Cyclones are shooting 37.5 percent behind the arc as a team in league play...ISU hit 11 threes against Kansas State, seven of which came from Matt Thomas...Thomas finished 7-for-10 behind the arc and finished with a career-high 25 points.
• Morris, who was named to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25, has been at his best since the schedule flipped to Big 12 play...in eight games, Morris is leading the Cyclones with 17.6 points, a team-best 5.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists (first in league) per game...in the last six games he's averaging 19.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 6.3 apg, 2.7 spg and shooting 48.8 FG%, 46.2 3FG%, 82.6 FT%...he is the nation's leader in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.87).
• Morris enters the Vanderbilt game with 663 career assists, just two away from matching Jeff Hornacek's school record...Morris joined Hornacek as the only players in school history with 1,000 points, 600 assists and 200 steals.
• Nazareth Mitrou-Long (211) and Thomas (210) have both surpassed 200 career 3-pointers made...they are just the fifth set of Big 12 teammates to have 200 made 3-pointers at the same time...this season, Thomas and Mitrou-Long have combined for 94 made threes.
• Mitrou-Long went over 1,000 career points against Oklahoma, becoming the 33rd player in school history to reach the milestone...since going scoreless against Cincinnati on Dec. 1, Mitrou-Long has been outstanding...in that time he has led the Cyclones averaging 17.6 points and shooting 54.7 percent from the field and 41.4 percent behind the arc.
• Deonte Burton scored a career-high 31 points against Oklahoma...Burton has proven himself as an all around player in the last six games: 17.5 pts, 5.5 rbs, 1.8 assts, 2.3 blks and 2.2 stls.

Iowa State Quick Hitters
• Iowa State has sold out 26 of the last 30 games at Hilton Coliseum...ISU is 22-4 at Hilton Coliseum under Prohm.
• ISU has been to a school-record five consecutive NCAA Tournaments...the Cyclones have made two Sweet 16 appearance in the last three seasons...ISU seeks to become the first school from the state of Iowa to reach six consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
• The Cyclones have won two of the last three Big 12 Tournament titles.
• Wins By Big 12 Teams Since 2011-12: Kansas 164, Baylor 143, Iowa State 136.
• ISU has won 20 games the last five seasons...Steve Prohm has won at least 20 games in each of his five seasons as a head coach...among current Big 12 coaches, only he, Texas coach Shaka Smart and TCU's Jamie Dixon accomplished that in their first five years as a head coach.
• Iowa State is one of 29 schools to win 20+ games the last five seasons...only 13 teams in the nation's top-six conferences (Big East, ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC) have won 20+ games five consecutive seasons.
• The Cyclones have won at least 10 league games in each of the last five seasons, which is a school record.
• The Cyclones have won 40 of their last 45 games at home, including 21 of 25 league games.
• ISU has led the Big 12 in scoring the last four seasons, joining Kansas (2000-03) as the only teams to lead the league four consecutive seasons.
• The Cyclones are 28-9 under Prohm when committing less turnovers than their opponent...ISU has had fewer turnovers than its opponent in 17 of 19 games this season, including seven games with less than 10 miscues.
• Morris has 663 assists and 146 turnovers in 124 career games...ISU is 55-19 when Morris has at least five assists.
• Morris has 13 career games with 10 or more assists...his assist-to-turnover ratio in those games is 8.7 (139 assists/16 turnovers)...the rest of the Big 12 players have a combined eight 10-assist games.
• In five career games against SEC opponents, Morris owns an 6.6 assist-to-turnover ratio (33 assts-5 TOs).
• ISU is 7-0 this season and 17-3 under Prohm when outrebounding its opponent.
• ISU has held five of its opponents to 59 points or less this season after doing so just three times in 35 games last season.
• Morris has one of 17 triple-doubles in the nation this season.
• ISU is ranked 324th nationally with just 314 free throws attempted (16.5 per game)...its opponents are averaging just 13.6 free throw attempts per contest.
• ISU's three starting guards (Morris, Thomas, Mitrou-Long) are shooting a combined 78.3 percent from the FT line (94-120)...Thomas has made 51 of his last 57 free-throw attempts.
• The duo of Thomas (13), Mitrou-Long (12) are both riding streaks of at least 12 games with a made 3-pointer.
• In games which he hits a 3-pointer, Donovan Jackson is averaging 9.2 points and shooting 52.7 percent (29-55) from the field and 54.1 percent (20-37) from 3-point range.
• The Cyclones are averaging 9.8 made three-pointers over the last nine games while shooting 38.9 percent as a team.
• ISU is 7-1 when Weiler-Babb has five or more rebounds.
• Entering the season, 66.1 percent of Mitrou-Long's made field goals were 3-pointers...this season that number is 44.9 percent...Mitrou-Long is shooting 65.9 percent on 2-point field goals.
• Morris is currently leading the Big 12 with 5.9 assists per game...he is trying to become the first player to lead the league three consecutive seasons since Doug Gottlieb (Oklahoma State) did it from 1998-2000.
• In the second half of Big 12 games, Morris has just two turnover in 154 minutes played.
• Morris and Mitrou-Long average a combined 31.8 points, third-most among Big 12 teammates.
• Morris is the second player in school history to record four 100-assist seasons (Gary Thompkins, 1985-88).
• Burton is averaging 2.3 blocks and 2.2 steals the last six games...Morris is posting 2.7 steals in the last six.
• Mitrou-Long has scored in double figures in a career-best 12 consecutive games.
• Morris is the nation's leader in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.87...Morris has the 2nd and fourth best single season marks in NCAA history and is trying to take the record back (Casey Benson, Oregon, 4.88)...in Big 12 Conference games, Morris owns a 6.1 a/to ratio...next best in the league is KU's Devonte' Graham at 3.2.
• Only Kansas' Frank Mason (35.2) is playing more minutes than Morris (34.3).
• Morris has the second-most wins in ISU history having played in 89 career wins...Georges Niang is first at 98 wins played in, while Mitrou-Long and Thomas have played in 87 wins each.
• Iowa State has 10 games with 10 or more steals...among the top-6 leagues, only West Virginia (11) has more.
• Iowa State earned road wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the same season for the first time since 1978.

Iowa State-Vanderbilt Series Notes
• Iowa State has faced Vanderbilt more than any SEC that wasn't previously a member of the Big 12 (Missouri and Texas A&M)...the Cyclones and Commodores meet for the eighth time this weekend, with ISU holding a 4-3 edge in the all-time series...Vanderbilt leads 2-1 in games played in Nashville.
• The teams haven't met since the 1985 season, however...ISU won that game, 80-79, in Nashville...ISU's all-time leading scorer Jeff Grayer tallied 33 points and Jeff Hornacek added 22 for the Cyclones...the Commodores were led by Steve Reece, who scored 16 points.
• Steve Prohm is 0-3 all-time against Bryce Drew...the meetings came when Prohm was at Murray State and Drew was at Valparaiso...the home/away games in that series were decided by two and three points...Prohm has not faced Vanderbilt.

Last Time Out - Cyclones Fend Off Kansas State
• Iowa State raced out to a 17-point halftime lead and extended it to 20 points early in the second half before a furious rally from K-State put the Wildcats in front by one with 5:00 left...the Cyclones would respond with an 8-1 run and ultimately win 70-65.
• Thomas led the way with a career-high 25 points while making a career-best 7-of-10 threes...Mitrou-Long (13) and Morris (12) were also in double figures.
• ISU held K-State to its second-worst field-goal percentage (40.0 percent) this season.

Here are some of the great photos and videos from last night's 70-65 win against K-State. https://t.co/VPH0L4NE3U pic.twitter.com/NjPyjAyOjq
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 25, 2017

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Deonte Burton

Donovan Jackson

Nazareth Mitrou-Long

Georges Niang

Matt Thomas

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics