Feb 21, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) rebounds the ball during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images
Iowa State lost Saturday night because BYU is a darn good team. One of the Big 12’s best. One of the nation’s most dangerous — especially when playing at home.
Iowa State also lost Saturday because national scoring leader A.J. Dybantsa scored 29 against a defense that’s been pretty darn good, but let’s continue.
For too many minutes and too many possessions during Iowa State’s 79-69 loss, coach T.J. Otzelberger’s team was out-hustled, out-rebounded and outscored in the paint — all statistics KenPom’s No. 8 adjusted defense should at least win, if not dominate.
Those are the major reasons, along with 18,046 very loud fans in seats at BYU’s Marriott Center, Iowa State fell two games behind Arizona in the Big 12 Conference standings, with four must-win games to play.
Those are the reasons the Cyclones lost late Saturday night. Credit BYU’s best game this season, and a soon-to-be lottery pick who was just as good on the defensive end against Milan Momcilovic, for Iowa State’s loss. Don’t pay attention to any noise about Iowa State maybe being over-seeded on the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s Saturday bracket reveal.
Winning on the road isn’t always as easy as a 23-point victory at then-No. 1 Purdue. And winning at BYU? Ask Top 10 Arizona and Houston about that.
As bad as Saturday night’s game looked and was at times, the Cyclones being on the top line March 15 on Selection Sunday is still possible. It’s still real, assuming there’s no more BYU repeats — and that includes at Arizona on March 2.
“A Final Four team,” BYU coach Kevin Young said of the Cyclones.
The way Iowa State played while winning 23 games — when passing was crisp, when forced turnovers became run-out baskets, when Blake Buchanan was grabbing bunches of rebounds and when Momcilovic was the deadeye we know he can be from 3-point range…
Absolutely a deep NCAA Tournament run is possible. However, we learned late Saturday that when even projected No. 1 seeds like the Cyclones don’t play like No. 1s — there can be trouble.
“You have to earn it every game (and) every day,” Tamin Lipsey said from the postgame podium, referring to the No. 1 seed. “Obviously, we didn’t earn the right to be there (Saturday night).”
So to Iowa State fans, tighten your seat belt for a roller coaster ride between now and Selection Sunday. Expect the unexpected — like Kansas getting smoked at home by Cincinnati, like Duke beating top-ranked Michigan, and Houston losing at home against Arizona.
“We need to understand that we’re going to get teams’ best shots, based on what we’ve accomplished up to this point,” Otzelberger told reporters. “We need to be the team that’s the aggressor. We need to do a great job focusing on our physicality. You don’t want to continue to learn the same lesson.
“We have tremendous confidence in our group and the young men on our team in our locker room.”
The Big 12 title still is within Iowa State’s sights. A No. 1 seed? That’s also reality, and so is this:
The Cyclones can’t afford another loss — a loss in which it is beaten at its own game.
(Columnist Randy Peterson, a past Iowa Sportswriter of the Year winner, can be reached at [email protected] or at any Okoboji-area beverage/food establishment between the hours of open and close.)
