Iowa
ESPN Matchup Predictor Forecasts Kansas vs Iowa State Basketball Matchup
No. 9 Kansas and No. 5 Iowa State are set to tip off this weekend in another Big 12 thriller. Two of the best teams in the conference will meet for the second time this season after the Jayhawks dominated the first matchup in an 84-63 blowout.
This time around will be much different, as the Cyclones will host the game at Hilton Coliseum, one of the best environments in the Big 12. KU head coach Bill Self has lost in that building three straight years by a combined 36 points.
Kansas has won its past eight games in a streak that began Jan. 13 against this very team in Allen Fieldhouse. Can the Jayhawks extend it to nine against the squad that started it all? ESPN’s computer model doesn’t appear to think so.
Kansas at Iowa State: ESPN Matchup Predictor Gives Prediction
The Matchup Predictor gives KU an extremely slim chance of coming out victorious Saturday afternoon. It gives Iowa State nearly a three-in-four probability of winning.
ESPN Matchup Predictor Chances at Victory: Iowa State 73.2%, Kansas 26.8%.
Kansas On SI’s Take
It makes sense that Iowa State is favored, but this number seems slightly exaggerated. The Cyclones opened as 5.5-point favorites, yet the computer model views them as overwhelming favorites.
As well as TJ Otzelberger’s squad has played this season, it has won just five of its last eight games after starting 16-0. In its most recent outing, Iowa State went into Fort Worth and suffered a disappointing loss to TCU, dropping to 8-3 in conference play.
The Jayhawks, on the other hand, have looked nearly unstoppable in recent weeks. They just defeated No. 1 Arizona — granted, it was at home in the best environment in America, but it was still a feat no other team had accomplished this season, and they did it without their best player in Darryn Peterson.
Kansas has an opportunity to complete a rare season sweep over one of its more deep-rooted conference rivals. It is highly unlikely that the team is run out the gym like ISU was last month, given its recent winning streak.
The star freshman appears to be on track to return this weekend, which would give KU a significant boost in its starting five. If he is available, the Jayhawks likely deserve better odds from ESPN’s computer model than they currently have.
MORE FROM KANSAS ON SI
3 Things Kansas Basketball Must Accomplish the Rest of the Season
Bill Self’s Minute-Long Darryn Peterson Rant May Be Familiar to Kansas Fans
What Melvin Council Jr. Returning to Kansas Would Mean for Jayhawks
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said he’s recovering from a gallstone removal procedure.
His media team shared that he is working in Iowa “in good spirits and looks forward to returning to Washington soon.”
“I’m gr8ful [sic] for the excellent care from local health care providers,” he shared on X.
Over the weekend in Iowa I had a procedure to remove gallstones I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 20, 2026
Grassley, 92, is the oldest senator currently in office and the sixth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
The Senate is in session this week.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.
The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.
Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.
University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.
The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.
-
West Virginia1 minute agoAIA West Virginia honors design excellence at 2026 gala in Morgantown
-
Wyoming7 minutes agoMan shot, critically injured by deputy during ‘disturbance’ in Rock Springs, Wyoming
-
Crypto13 minutes agoXRP Prepares for Quantum Future as Ripple Maps XRPL Strategy for Security Readiness
-
Finance19 minutes agoWhy this sleepy Swiss town has become a ‘bolt-hole’ for the Gulf elite
-
Fitness25 minutes ago
Six ways your smartwatch is lying to you, according to science
-
Movie Reviews37 minutes agoMovie Review – Desert Warrior (2026)
-
World49 minutes agoIran War Live Updates: Trump Officials and Iran Plan New Talks Despite Mixed Messages
-
News55 minutes agoVideo: Singer D4vd Is Charged With Murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez