Texas Tech vs Iowa State men’s basketball: Five players to watch

Here are five players to watch in Saturday’s matchup between the Iowa State Cyclones and Texas Tech Red Raiders. ISU is looking to remove the bad taste from their mouths after getting pummeled by West Virginia, and TTU is looking extend their three-game winning streak.

Jan 18, 2014; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders forward

(30) grabs a rebound against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Texas Tech beat TCU 60-49. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

#30 Jaye Crockett (TTU senior forward, 6-foot-7, 210 lbs.)

Crockett is the unquestioned leader and go-to-guy for the Red Raiders, averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds which leads the team in both categories. He’s been on the floor 74.2 percent of the time and possesses the ball 23 percent of the time, which he also leads the team in. His efficiency is impeccable, shooting at a 57.4 effective field goal percentage and is hitting 34.9 percent of his 3-point shots (15-of-43, which is good for a big man).

#31 Georges Niang (ISU sophomore forward, 6-foot-7, 240 lbs.)

It’s a good thing that Iowa State has a couple big men of their own that can hit 3-pointers, such as Niang. He’s hit 18 of his last 35 attempts from downtown. In the last game against Texas Tech, the sophomore went off for 17 points and seven rebounds in 38 minutes of action; he led the Cyclones in all of those categories.

#2 Dusty Hannahs (TTU sophomore guard, 6-foot-4, 210 lbs.)

Hannahs made a huge presence off the bench in the last meeting, scoring 16 points and helping bring back the Red Raiders early in the second half before Iowa State was able to pull away.

Feb 8, 2014; Ames, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard DeAndre Kane (50) drives past Texas Christian Horned Frogs guard Michael Williams (2) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones beat the Horned Frogs 84 to 69. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

#50 DeAndre Kane (ISU senior guard, 6-foot-4, 200 lbs.)

The last meeting against Texas Tech was one of the smartest games Kane has played. He was plus-3 on his assist-to-turnover ratio (six assists to three turnovers) while getting himself to the free throw line, knocking down 9-of-13 from the charity stripe. He needs to rebound in a big way after his disappointing performance during his return to the Eastern part of the United States. The transfer from Marshall had 14 points but missed all three 3-point attempts, went 2-of-6 from the free throw line, and had just two assists to five turnovers.

#11 Dejan Kravic (TTU sophomore forward, 7-foot, 235 lbs.)

For a guy that’s seven feet tall, Kravic didn’t impose much threat in the first meeting with just two points, one rebound, and had two turnovers. He was able to break out against TCU (mainly because they had no one to match him up against) with 18 points and made 7-of-10 from the field in 32 minutes, but played just 26 minutes combined making 2-of-5 from the field in both wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. He’s one of the better offensive rebounders on the team, and still poses a threat if he’s able to get going.

Other notes:

• In the last game against Texas Tech, Matt Thomas was the starter. However, Monte Morris and Naz Long played 24 minutes each. Both went a combined 0-4 from 3-point range.
• In fact, Iowa State as a team went 5-of-19 from 3-point range, including 1-of-10 in the second half, but were able to overcome a furious Red Raiders rally.