Alcorn St. @ Iowa State preview

There was a time - less than a month ago, in fact - that panic was the order of the day for Iowa State, which failed to top 60 points in a pair of losses to begin the season with only Nick Weiler-Babb packing any hint of an offensive punch. Finding contributors hasn't been much of a problem since, and the surging Cyclones set their sights on a seventh consecutive victory Sunday when they host Alcorn State.

Iowa State began the campaign with a 74-59 defeat at Missouri and a 74-56 setback against Milwaukee, but coach Steve Prohm's decision to move Weiler-Babb to point guard paid immediate dividends, as Donovan Jackson averaged 25.3 points during the team's three-game championship run during the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. Jackson has since passed the offensive torch to fellow guard Lindell Wigginton, who became the first Cyclone freshman with at least 20 points in three straight games since Marcus Fizer when he poured in 24 in Thursday's 84-78 win over Iowa. “We’re growing up. We have a long way to go. We don’t have an identity yet, but we’re starting to make steps," Prohm told the Des Moines Register. After beginning the season with six straight double-digit losses to Division I programs, the Braves won for the second time in three games following an 89-50 rout of NAIA foe Rust College on Dec. 1.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, Cyclones.TV

ABOUT ALCORN STATE (2-7): The Braves held up well in their first full game without Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year Reginal Johnson, who broke his right leg six minutes into an 81-65 loss at Tulane on Nov. 29 and is expected to miss the rest of the season as a result. Sophomore guard Maurice Howard (8.7 points) picked up the offensive slack for his fallen teammate versus Rust College, setting career highs with seven 3-pointers and 23 points in 21 minutes of action. Sophomore forward Yalen Reed (5.6 points, 5.3 rebounds) smashed his previous career highs of 11 points and nine rebounds with 20 points (on 9-of-10 shooting) and 13 boards against Rust, while junior Dante Sterling also set a personal best with 17 points.

ABOUT IOWA STATE (6-2): Weiler-Babb (13.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists) is the only player in the country averaging at least 13 points, seven boards and seven assists, and the 6-5 junior is averaging 14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists since moving to point guard (12.5, 2.5 and 5.0 in the two games prior). Wigginton (16.3 points) is one of only five players nationally to post two games this season with at least 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and four made 3-pointers, and he is bidding to become the first Cyclone freshman to score at least 20 points in four consecutive games. Jackson (team-high 16.4 points) is one of four Division I players shooting 40 percent behind the arc (min. 25 made 3-pointers) and 95 percent at the line (min. 20 made free throws).

TIP-INS

1. The Cyclones are averaging 84.5 points during their winning streak (57.5 prior).

2. The Braves haven't defeated a Division I school in non-conference action since 2012.

3. Weiler-Babb has handed out at least 10 assists in a school-record four straight games.

PREDICTION: Iowa State 85, Alcorn State 70