Iowa State Cyclones vs BYU Cougars: Three players to watch

The BYU men’s basketball team could be without one of their starting guards against Iowa State.

Nov 11, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Kyle Collinsworth (5) and Stanford Cardinal center Grant Verhoeven (30) fight for position under the basket during the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Haws, who’s missed the last two games with a lower abdominal strain. He wasn’t a major factor last year against Iowa State, scoring just nine points and went 4 of 13 from the field, along with five turnovers. But he was efficient going 18 of 25 from the field, along with 21 rebounds, combined in his first two games.

If Haws misses the game against the Cyclones, here are some other players that can be expected to step up in his absence.

Kyle Collinsworth (BYU guard, #5, So.)

Colinsworth completes a trifecta of Haws (when he comes back) and Matt Carlino in the backcourt, and could be one of the best backcourts in the nation. The sophomore guard has seen plenty of playing time this season, and nearly had three double-doubles. With a couple games of double-digit points and rebounds, he was one assist shy of recording a double-double in the win over Stanford (14 points, nine assists).

Melvin Ejim (ISU forward, #3, Sr.)

Ejim had 13 points in eight rebounds in the eventual blowout win against the Cougars. His knee looked 100 percent against Michigan, and it will be interesting to see if he can have the same kind of production after just two days between games.

Nate Austin (BYU forward, #33, Jr.)

Austin came off the bench with a significant amount of playing time against the Cyclones last season, finishing with an efficient eight points, five rebounds, and three steals. He was very efficient in the win over Stanford, hitting on 5 of 7 field goals and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.