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Iowa State Cyclones vs BYU Cougars is must-watch

By Jason Marcum

Mar 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Melvin Ejim (3) drives in for a dunk against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half during the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Melvin Ejim (3) drives in for a dunk against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half during the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Melvin Ejim (3) drives in for a dunk against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half during the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Melvin Ejim (3) drives in for a dunk against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half during the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

The No. 21 Iowa State Cyclones faces a tough road test when it hits the road to face the BYU Cougars tonight night at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (CT) with ESPNU broadcasting the game.

Both teams love pushing the ball on the offensive end, with each side ranking among the top 15 teams nationally in average possession length.  Iowa State, which is 5-0 all-time against BYU, jumped back into the rankings following Sunday’s win over then-No. 7 Michigan. It is the first national ranking for the Cyclones since late in the 2011-12 season and the highest national ranking since 2000-01 season when ISU won the Big 12.

BYU rolled past the Stanford Cardinal on the road last week, while Iowa State picked upset the Michigan Wolverines at home this past weekend. The key in this one could be the status of BYU guard Tyler Haws. He’s missed the last two games due to a lower abdominal strain, but he should be back for Wednesday night.

Against Michigan, Cyclones guard Melvin Ejim returned to the lineup after missing two games with a hyperextended knee. Ejim made a big splash in his season debut. He finished with a game-high 22 points and also grabbed nine boards and three steals in 28 minutes to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors.