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As the clock trickled down on Iowa State's(19-12) 78-72 Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal win over No. 10 Baylor Bears(22-10), Baylor left with more questions than answers after dropping its second game in 10 days to the Cyclones.
A lot of uncharacteristic habits have been seen late in games, and if Baylor keeps playing like this, the Bears will not go deep in the NCAA Tournament
Former college basketball player Randolph Childress said on the "Field of 68 Podcast":
" I am concerned about Baylor. I don't think they are as good defensively as they've been. I don't consider them any longer a national championship threat. I don't trust Baylor's defense. I don't think they're on that list of teams that can win it all anymore,"
This is warranted as the Bears have shown unusual plays in the last few weeks.
Freshman guard Keyonte George has struggled in the last two games against the Cyclones. If George can't get going, the Bears offense is not as versatile as it can truly be. His motor is essential, and in the last two games, the Cyclones have not made it easy on Baylor to develop a rhythm.
George has amassed 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and five turnovers in his last two games while shooting 30.00% from the field and 23.52% from beyond the arc.
Jaylen Bridges, a 6-foot-7 wing was a bright spot for the Baylor Bears, setting a career-high with 28 points, five rebounds and two assists. He shot 10 of 11 from the field, with just one 3-point missed.
Iowa State Cyclones are for real
Gabe Kalscheur led the way for the Cyclones as they came back from a 53-46 deficit and pulled away in the last 12 minutes to win the Big 12 quarterfinal 78-72 on Thursday. He finished with 24 points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals. The Cyclones are getting hot at the right time, and that's a recipe for success for any team leading into the tournament.
With three victories over the Baylor Bears, the Cyclones seems to have an upper hand against the Bears. The next opponent will be Gradey Dick and the third-ranked Kansas Jayhawks(26-6), who just defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers by a commanding score of 78-61.
This game should have a defensive focus, which ought to go well for a neutral site. Even though Kansas coach Bill Self was hospitalized on Thursday and is out for the rest of the Big 10 tournament, both teams should be well prepared.
Kansas and Baylor have had two matchups this season that have been nothing but amazing. Kansas eked out a 62-60 win on Jan. 14, but Iowa State won 68-53 on Feb. 4.
There's plenty at stake in Round 3. Iowa State is trying to secure an NCAA Tournament berth, and by reaching the tournament semifinals in a loaded Big 12, which has five ranked teams, the Cyclones should be in. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks are trying to nail down a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.
