NCAAM action continued on Tuesday afternoon, with the Kansas Jayhawks producing a suffocating defensive performance to upset the Iowa State Cyclones to the tune of 17 points at Allen Fieldhouse.

The 16th seeded Jayhawks were coming off a second half collapse against Baylor in their previous outing, and entered Tuesday’s clash as underdogs against the Cyclones, who are ranked eigthh with a record of 17 wins and four losses.

It was a remarkably restrictive performance from Kansas, rarely allowing the opposition an open look as Iowa State struggled with a lack of efficiency from the field. Remarkably, the Cyclones were held to just 19 points after the first 20 minutes of action, and shot 30 per cent from the field and 14 per cent from behind the arc. Once the Jayhawks took away their opponents’ three-point shot, it was game over.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest display their craft on a nightly basis.

Kansas Jayhawks (69) def. Iowa State Cyclones (52)

Kansas

#1 Hunter Dickinson

It was another tireless performance from the 24-year-old big man, who ran and ran to ensure he had an impact on both ends of the floor. The lefty was able to make his mark scoring in the paint, using his frame to set picks before rolling to the basket and finishing at the cup. Dickinson posted 14 points on 7/12 shooting from the field, and rarely made a mistake when he was basket-side of his opponent. The former Michigan Wolverine also came close to a double-double with nine rebounds, while he owned the paint on both ends of the floor with four blocks too to cap off an excellent two-way showing.

#3 Dajuan Harris Jr.

Kansas’ point guard was his reliable self again in the win over the Cyclones, playing his role by setting up his teammates and scoring the ball himself. Harris Jr. poured in 12 points on 4/6 shooting from the field and 4/4 shooting from the charity stripe. Despite an ankle injury putting an end to his 98-game streak of starting as a member of the Jayhawks, the 24-year-old was not hampered by this, playing 35 minutes and pressing defensively to make life difficult for the opposition.

#5 Zeke Mayo

The standout player of the match, Mayo was at his damaging best from behind the arc, and tormented the opposition with his ability to find the bottom of the net from long range. Whether it was using a down screen to get free and knocking down the shot immediately off the catch or creating his own look off the dribble by breaking the defender down with a tight handle, Mayo was electric on the offensive end in a match where the Cyclones could have done with a player of his calibre. With the potential to be a second-round draft pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, performances like this from Mayo may prove invaluable in a few months time.

Iowa State

#2 Joshua Jefferson

Despite the tough defensive pressure from Kansas, Jefferson never stopped trying to create for the Cyclones, and worked hard to keep his side in the contest for as long as he could. Although the forward fell victim to the Jayhawks’ incredibly restrictive defence (3/13 FG), he still worked his way to an equal team-high 11 points to go with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in a gutsy effort. He looked the most likely to poke holes in the opposition’s defensive structures and still managed to showcase his strengths.