Oklahoma vs Iowa State men’s basketball: Three players to watch

Iowa State will reach the middle of their six day, three-game gauntlet in the Big 12 on Saturday. Next up is Oklahoma, and they’ll try to contain their monster forward who destroyed Oklahoma State last Monday.

Jan 27, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners forward Ryan Spangler (00) reacts during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Lloyd Noble Center. Oklahoma won 88-76. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Cyclones will also have to take on a freshman guard that’s oozing with confidence from the perimeter. That’s not good news for ISU, who got killed from the perimeter in the last meeting at Norman.

#00 Ryan Spangler (OU sophomore forward, 6-8, 232 lbs.)

Spangler had 16 points and 15 rebounds against Iowa State, dominating the boards and yelled his way to the free throw line while nobody on the Cyclones could physically match up with him. He’s coming off of another impressive outing in the win over Oklahoma State where he had 15 points and 17 rebounds. He’ll bring all of that energy into Hilton Coliseum, where boos could reign down every time he touches the ball.

#21 Matt Thomas (ISU freshman guard, 6-3, 200 lbs.)

Thomas only saw 12 minutes of action and missed all three shot attempts in the last game out, but he’s seeing more playing time after figuring things out from the perimter. He’s seen 54 minutes on the floor in the last two games combined and has shot 6-of-12 from 3-point range. The freshman recorded 57 total minutes in the four games previous to that.

#10 Jordan Woodard (OU freshman guard, 6-0, 185 lbs.)

Woodward was one of the rare Sooners to not shoot well in the win over Iowa State, but he’s been lights out in his last two games. The freshman is 6-of-7 from 3-point range in both games. He picked up eight assists against Texas Tech and went 9-of-13 from the free throw line against Oklahoma State.