Baylor @ Iowa State preview

Baylor at Iowa State

Last Meeting ( Jan 29, 2020 ) Baylor 67, Iowa State 53

Much of Baylor's success this season has come from a bevy of bench scoring.

Reserves have contributed at least 33 points in every game for the No. 2 Bears (8-0, 1-0 Big 12), who are set to resume Big 12 play with a road matinee against Iowa State on Saturday in Ames.

Coach Scott Drew preaches the value of developing depth to pay dividends, a luxury cultivated by the Bears' series of lopsided defeats. Baylor tuned up for its visit to Iowa State by routing Central Arkansas by 37 points on Tuesday and defeating Alcorn State by 29 on Wednesday.

"Coming back from break, you're either practicing or playing," Drew said. "I know guys would rather play a game than be in practice for two or three hours."

Idle since defeating Jackson State 60-45 on Dec. 20 to snap a four-game losing streak, the Cyclones (2-4, 0-2 Big 12) followed a different path over the holidays.

Players were allowed to leave the team's bubble for a few days to spend time with their families at home.

"The limitations, the risk of games being canceled or being shut down for a few weeks with COVID -- being able to escape that for a few days is nice," the Cyclones' Solomon Young said.

To that end, Iowa State's final scheduled pre-holiday game, a Dec. 22 contest against Chicago State, was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns within the Cougars' program.

For Drew, that ratio is to be expected amid the uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic.

"You schedule two in hopes that you definitely get one in," he said. "And we were able to be blessed to play two games, and it allowed us to try some things that we use in conference and be able to do that against people besides ourselves. We were able to give some guys playing experience, and all of that stuff bodes well and helps you down the line because you never know when your number's going to be called."

MaCio Teague scored 18 points to lead six players in double figures against Alcorn State. Jared Butler added 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting, while Davion Mitchell had his second career double-double, adding 10 points and 10 assists.

Jordan Turner was among the bench players who shined, scoring 10 points to match his total from the team's previous seven games.

Baylor has scored at least 80 points in every game, and its eight successive double-digit victories tied a school record established in 2011-12. The Bears, however, expect far greater resistance from Iowa State.

"We know how good the Big 12 is," Drew said.

Iowa State has lost its two conference games by a combined 14 points, including a five-point defeat against then-No. 8 West Virginia.

Jalen Coleman-Lands has sparked the Cyclones' perimeter game, shooting 42.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc while averaging 2.8 makes from deep per game.

Rasir Bolton leads Iowa State with 15.7 points per game while averaging 5.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals.

--Field Level Media