Iowa State basketball: Ranking the 5 most important games for the 2024-25 season

The expectations for Iowa State basketball are high heading into the 2024-25 season.

The level of competition the Cyclones will face is top-tier, too.

Iowa State could face six top-10 opponents and nine top-25 opponents, according to ESPN's Wayy-Too-Early Top 25 released on July 1. The Cyclones rank No. 7 in that poll.

That official number will vary by the time the first ball is tipped, but the point still stands. The Cyclones are set to face one of their toughest schedules in recent memory.

"It's a very challenging schedule," said coach T.J. Otzelberger. "We need to be ready. Not that we don't every single night in the past, but this year's schedule really presents a lot of really good teams coming in early as well."

Last season, the Cyclones rolled to an 11-2 record in the non-conference portion of their schedule with just four high-major programs on the ledger before going 13-5 in conference play. It's possible, even for a team that should be improved from its Sweet 16 appearance, that its regular-season record takes a hit due to the schedule's difficulty.

However, a lot can be learned from that brutal slate.

"I don't think any of us as coaches intend to want to learn from losing, but as you play better teams, that's a byproduct of that decision," Otzelberger said. "How you handle success and failure is really important.

"What I've learned more than anything in the Big 12 is the teams that get really good at taking a loss and bouncing right back are the ones that tend to do better. You want to win every game, you prepare to win every game, but if you play in the best conference in the country against the best coaches, best players and the best teams, you're certainly going to take losses.

"Being able to lose and stay together as a team, take a step forward and learn from it is so important. That's going to be critical for us this season."

Here are the top five competitions in which we will get to know how real this Iowa State team is next season.

1. Kansas, home and away

We're still a little ways away from getting official dates for the Big 12 Conference schedule, but the Cyclones will have home and away contests against coach Bill Self's Jayhawks.

Regardless of when those games take place, these matchups will go a long way in determining who comes out on top in the Big 12 regular-season title chase. Kansas, Iowa State, Arizona, Baylor and Houston are set to trade blow after blow. That makes each game crucial in what will be a bloodbath of a conference title race.

These games will also showcase how Dishon Jackson and the rest of the bigs play defensively against what should be a prolific Kansas offense.

Jackson is the guy who seems to be penciled in to start at center for Iowa State. Otzelberger expressed confidence in his defensive ability, particularly his ability to stay mobile when defending and as a rim protector. One thing that caught some people's eyes, however, was what Milan Momcilovic had to say about Jackson.

"He's getting better day by day, you can see it," Momcilovic said. "He can finish well at the rim. He's still working on that ball-screen coverage, but he'll be good."

His defense against Kansas is going to be crucial, particularly on those ball screens. Whether it's been at Michigan or Kansas , star center Hunter Dickinson has been elite off of ball screens. He can set screens or be the primary scorer off of those chances. He can do it with his back to the basket, rolling to the rim or even shooting from mid-range or beyond the arc.

Last year, the experiment with Dickinson didn't work as well as expected for the Jayhawks, posting one of their worst seasons in recent memory with a record of 23-11 and an early NCAA Tournament exit. But the team loaded up in the offseason by getting Dickinson back and adding Wisconsin transfer AJ Storr (16.8 points per game) and Zeke Mayo (18.8 points per game at South Dakota State).

The Kansas offense should have several prominent scorers on the floor at once, meaning Jackson isn't likely to get too much help when taking on a Dickinson on those ball screens. The way he defends those is going to be crucial in slowing down Kansas' attack and should provide a glimpse at how well these four-guard lineups will work for Iowa State.

More: Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton's career ascends with USA Basketball in 2024 Olympics

2. The Maui Invitational (Nov. 25-27)

In the 40 years since the Maui Invitational began, the eventual national champion has competed at the November tournament seven times.

This year might be the eighth time, with Auburn, Colorado, Dayton, Iowa State, Memphis, Michigan State, North Carolina and reigning back-to-back champions UConn in the field.

"There's multiple teams that probably could win the whole thing," Otzelberger said.

November games don't mean much in the grand scheme of things. A lot will change from then until March.

Still, this is a great measuring stick early in the season for Otzelberger and the coaching staff. The multi-team event could go a long way in determining how deep of a lineup he wants to roll out throughout the season, how and where minutes are deployed, and where the team may have some holes or problems that need addressing.

Plus, who isn't looking forward to seeing the Cyclones in Hawaii?

"Even though we've got business, I'm still going to get to the ocean a couple times," said senior guard Curtis Jones.

3. at Houston

That 57-53 win for Iowa State over the Cougars in Ames last year was a defining moment for the Cyclones. It's where true expectations of a deep postseason began.

Kelvin Sampson's squad always brings things to the table that make it tough to beat. The Cougars boast a defense that is consistently one of the best in the land and they are a team that won't beat themselves with silly turnovers and bad offensive possessions.

This matchup will happen just once, on the road at Houston. This game will likely come down to the wire and some big plays will probably be made in the final minutes.

This will be a monumental test of how strong the Cyclones are in tight games. Who is the guy you want to take the last shot? What five guys make the most sense in crunch time? How does this version of Iowa State handle the pressure?

This game is third on our list but is perhaps one of the bigger looks into how Iowa State will perform in do-or-die games in March.

4. vs. Baylor at Hilton Coliseum

Picking up Miami transfer Norchad Omier was a massive haul for Baylor. He averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game at 6-foot-7. He's averaged a double-double in each season of his career and has begun to expand his game beyond the arc.

He'll be surrounded by an elite set of guards in true freshman VJ Edgecombe (fifth overall player in 2024 class), Duke transfer and quality point guard Jeremy Roach, Langston Love and Jayden Nunn. Roach, Love and Nunn all averaged double-digit points per game last season.

Iowa State will play Baylor just once in the regular season, but the Bears will bring similar problems to what Houston and Kansas will bring to the Cyclones. They have a well-balanced offense and are a team that is as consistent as any in the country.

5. Arizona, home and away

The new kids on the block in the Big 12 will be in for a bit of a rude awakening, but the Wildcats should bring plenty of problems of their own.

Iowa State will play Arizona at home and on the road. It's a team that presents a dynamic duo in Caleb Love and Oakland transfer Trey Townsend.

Love has been one of the country's most prolific scorers for four seasons, averaging 15.5 points per game at UNC and Arizona, as well as 18 points per game last season. However, he's never been very efficient as a career 37.5% shooter.

Pairing him with Townsend, who is a 50% shooter in his career and a consistent threat from deep, should help Love become less of a volume shooter with a reliable partner on the wing. If that can come to fruition, Arizona is going to present some significant problems on defense for Iowa State.

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball: Ranking the 5 most important games for the 2024-25 season