Kansas
Iowa State basketball: 3 takeaways from the Cyclones’ revenge win vs. Kansas State
Iowa State basketball: TJ Otzelberger on Cyclones back on track
Iowa State basketball closed the regular season on a high note and was in a good mindset coming into Saturday’s game at Kansas State.
MANHATTAN, Kan. − With Iowa State basketball’s regular season concluded, all eyes are now on the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
Before the action tips off, let’s take one final look at the end of the regular season and Iowa State’s 73-57 win over Kansas State on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Cyclones will be the 5-seed in the Big 12 Tournament. They finished the regular season with a 23-8 record and 13-7 in Big 12 Conference play.
Curtis Jones led the way Saturday with 24 points, five boards, five assists and two steals. Joshua Jefferson had 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while Dishon Jackson added 11 points, four boards, three steals and a block.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s win:
Iowa State basketball’s role reversal of the Feb. 1 loss to Kansas State
The Wildcats left the Hilton Coliseum crowd speechless when they upset the Cyclones and broke their long 29-game winning streak at home last month. Kansas State had been struggling at the time and entered that contest without a single road win. The Wildcats won convincingly during the 19-point upset.
Iowa State came with a renewed effort on Saturday after losing three of its last four games.
The Cyclones won in crucial margins of the game in which the Wildcats previously bested them.
They forced 17 Kansas State turnovers, which they converted into 22 points on the opposite end. Iowa State trimmed its turnovers down to 11 for the game.
Offensively, Iowa State was more efficient, shooting 47.1% overall and 35.0% from deep, while Kansas State shot just 37.7% and a meager 2-for-21 (9.5%) from long range.
The Cyclones started strong once again and never let the Wildcats get back in it, unlike their previous showdown, and ended up winning in wire-to-wire fashion.
Kansas State did outrebound them, 32-30, but it was a better rebounding margin than the 10-board difference the Wildcats had in the first meeting.
They also limited the Wildcats to just eight second-chance points after they piled up 21 second-chance points and 14 offensive rebounds in the earlier meeting.
These were all key ingredients in helping Iowa State finish the regular season on a high note and spoil Kansas State’s senior day.
“Today, the pride kicked in − the pride on the front of the jersey, but for a lot of guys, the pride on the back of their jersey as well,” said Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger. “Playing for their name, their family, the work that they put in is important as well, and so I thought both of those playing for the name on the front and the back was present in our pride today.”
Cyclones allow defense to fuel the rest of their play
For a team that’s recently allowed offensive lulls to impact defensive execution, the Cyclones were consistently more physical and tuned in on the defensive end throughout Saturday’s game.
In the previous meeting, the Wildcats shot 10-of-20 (50.0%) from beyond the arc and 44.8% overall − the fifth-highest shooting percentage by a Big 12 opponent this season.
Outside of a few short-lived spurts, Kansas State never seemed comfortable on offense.
“Our physicality and our urgency to get stops,” Jefferson said. “We did a much better job sprinting back, stopping the ball and keeping them out of the paint. I thought that was a big difference in how we were approaching the game.”
Iowa State’s ability to feast off turnovers emerged once again.
“Those are big plays for us,” Otzelberger said. “We take a lot of pride defensively and being able to generate turnovers with our ball pressure and our rotations, being in gaps and our guys had a really good focus in that area. You get those points in transition, we had 22 points off those turnovers and we win that margin by 16 − that’s the difference in the game.
“We’ve got to continue to be that team every single night out. When we will and when we do that, we’ll be successful.”
Now it will be a matter of maintaining that consistency on the defensive end moving forward in the postseason.
“We’ve seen what our team can do when we’re playing well,” Otzelberger said. “We talk all the time about wanting to be at our best and that hasn’t happened yet. In order for it to happen, you just got to stack days.”
Keshon Gilbert missed Saturday’s game, but expected to be good for Big 12 tournament
Shortly before tip-off, the Register’s Travis Hines reported that the Cyclones would be playing Saturday’s game without Keshon Gilbert due to a muscle strain.
Gilbert is Iowa State’s second-highest scorer, averaging 13.8 points per game. He is also averaging 3.6 rebounds, a team-high 4.3 assists and is one of the Cyclones’ top defenders.
The 6-foot-4 senior played in the Cyclones’ double-overtime loss to BYU on Tuesday, logging 13 points, three rebounds, eight steals, two blocks and three turnovers.
He also played in Iowa State’s win over Arizona on March 1, but he was previously sidelined with a muscle strain for road losses at Houston (Feb. 22) and Oklahoma State (Feb. 25).
Otzelberger expects that Gilbert will be good to go for the Big 12 Tournament.
“He and I just talked in the locker room after (Saturday’s game) about him attacking practice on Monday morning, getting back after it,” Otzelberger said. “Our focus is to get him back on the practice court on Monday, him having a great practice, carry that over to Tuesday and then lead into the game Wednesday.”
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
Kansas
Where to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 19
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Friday as the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Kansas City Royals.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals?
First pitch between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for (ET) on Friday, June 19.
How to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals on Friday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, June 19, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: STL at KC
- Date: Friday, June 19
- Time: (ET)
- Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- TV: Apple TV
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 19 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — It’s been a week since the World Cup began in Kansas City, but some local businesses aren’t feeling the expected influx in traffic and are asking for support.
On Thursday, KC2026 provided numbers for the FIFA Fan Festival and the ConnectKC26 transportation system.
From June 11 to June 16, KC2026 said more than 63,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival.
There are mixed results for where everyone is from:
- 52% from Kansas or Missouri
- 33% from the United States
- 15% from out of the country
As of 2 p.m. on June 17, ConnectKC26 has a total of 86,540 registered passes.
Breakdown of routes from KC2026:
- Stadium Direct: 57,302
- Regional Direct: 17,284
- Airport Direct: 11,954
As for business traffic, it depends on where you look. Some businesses in the Country Club Plaza said they’ve seen an uptick, especially on the first match day.
“We just had a really fun time with all of the fans, and I think we did a good job preparing for it,” said KC Style Haus Owner, Deserae Minor.
But many businesses are sharing their disappointment online.
‘Ghost town’
Caitlin Benedict, who owns Bisou, a European-style coffee and pastry shop, took to Instagram after shopping at a Crossroads night market.
“We are all in this together, it sucks. It was dead. It’s been dead everywhere,” said Bisou Owner, Caitlin Benedict.
After sharing her disappointment online, she saw an uptick in business on Thursday.
“It’s nice when the community can help out, and you can back up your own hometown at the same time,” said Janet Garciga, who drove in from Lee’s Summit to visit Bisou.
“I don’t want them to just come to Bisou, and I don’t want it to just be for a day. I want them to go everywhere else, and I want them to support everyone else, and consistently, especially for the next month and a half while FIFA is here,” said Benedict.
She heard from businesses experiencing the same issues in Mission, other spots downtown, Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park.
Down the road in the Crossroads, Buffalo State Pizza saw fans for the French match on Tuesday.
“But after that, I mean, we even close early on Tuesday because that was, it was dead,” said Buffalo State Pizza Owner, Phillippe Lechevin.
Shopping bags and matchas aren’t filling up at Dear Society either.
“The 10 years that I’ve been here in Kansas City. I have seen a lot of these big events coming into town, and we’ve been told to prepare and get ready for these huge crowds. And to be honest, after the NFL draft and after so many things that I’ve seen in 10 years, I didn’t do anything different,” said Dear Society Owner, Chanel Jezek. “I kind of knew. I had a feeling like we weren’t going to be as busy as they were projecting because they’ve done this to us before.”
Multiple factors = slow traffic
All three, Bisou, Buffalo State Pizza, and Dear Society, said there isn’t really someone to blame, but rather multiple factors that could be part of the issues.
A lot of eateries in town added a 20% automatic gratuity to bills, Bisou and Buffalo State Pizza decided not to take part, but worry that it is keeping locals away.
Visit KC projected 650,000 visitors throughout the entire tournament, and these businesses wonder if the possibility of large crowds and no parking is also keeping residents at home.
“I think we lost a lot of the regular ones. You know, the number was shown earlier back in February, you know, the 600,000 people. People who have the option to work from home, but maybe they didn’t want to deal with the traffic, since there’s no traffic. So hopefully they’re going to come back,” said Lechevin. “People may realize, actually, you know, it’s not as crazy as it is. I can still park in my regular spot and have lunch at my regular spot without being, you know, charged an extra amount.”
Jezek said she’d love to see KC2026 and FIFA add more locally owned businesses on their website so fans know where to find them.
“We are not seeing an increase in traffic on the streets. We are not crowded like they were predicting. You can still come in. You can still support your local businesses, your favorite coffee shops, your favorite places to grab your gifts, or whatever. We’re here. We’re slow. And there are more places to park,” said Jezek.
Benedict said it is an honor to have the World Cup here, but wants to see more honesty and support from leaders.
“I feel like it’s good for our city. It’s recognition. But at the same time, I want leadership to step in and say, okay, we didn’t get as many travelers as we should have,” said Benedict.
These businesses are hopeful that fans, locals, and other owners all come out and support these small shops throughout the metro during the World Cup and beyond.
“I would say just keep coming and supporting us and showing up,” said Jezek.
KCTV5 reached out to Visit KC, but did not have any numbers it could share at this time.
Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office shared the statement below after this story aired on Thursday:
“While the economic impact of a global event of this magnitude will naturally vary by business and by neighborhood, Mayor Lucas is encouraged by what he is hearing from Kansas City’s entertainment and hospitality sectors. Hotels, bars, and restaurants reported strong activity as Kansas City welcomed tens of thousands of guests for the opening match. As we look toward this weekend’s games and the remainder of the tournament, we’ll continue to highlight opportunities for our visitors and residents alike to join in the fun and celebration of this one in a generation moment.”
Businesses are hopeful that the longer the World Cup goes on, the more people will show up. KCTV5 plans to check in with these businesses throughout the tournament to see if traffic picks up.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
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