KANSAS 72, IOWA STATE 55

Game Over

The Cyclones did what they could in spurts of the second half, but they don't have nearly enough talent to hang with the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse and they were just worn down by the end of the game.

Iowa State didn't have any kind of answer for Cole Aldrich who hit 9-of-12 shots for 22 points. He also pulled down 11 rebounds.

Collins hit three trifectas in the final three minutes to match Aldrich's 22 points and extend the margin of victory to 17. Kansas displayed its dominance over an inferior foe, and that's exactly what it needed tonight.

KANSAS 59, IOWA STATE 47

3:59 left in the second half

Iowa State tried to keep it close a few times, but every time it got within 10, there was Cole Aldrich to slam the door.

The sophomore center has been absolutely dominant tonight, racking up 20 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. It's still Collins' team, but Aldrich is one hell of a first mate.

KANSAS 51, IOWA STATE 38

7:43 left in the second half

Kansas has re-claimed its dominance in this game, particularly Cole Aldrich, who has 16 points, 10 rebounds and a couple of blocks.

The masked man is also responsible for the weirdest song segway of the season.

The folks at Rock Chalk Video whipped up some crazy graphic titled "Phantom of the Phog" and used it as an intro to one of Aldrich's many highlights tonight. The crowd was a little flabbergasted by the whole thing, until the "Phantom of the Opera" music faded and up came "Jump Around" by House of Pain.

I think what we learned is that no matter what situation you're in, the correct answer is always more House of Pain.

KANSAS 41, IOWA STATE 31

15:52 left in the second half

Iowa State carried its momentum from the first half and actually forced a quick Kansas timeout.

After the mini-run, though, Kansas re-gained control and bumped its lead back to 10. Iowa State's Jamie Vanderbeken is 3-of-5 on three-pointers and he's helping take some pressure off Brackins.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Basketball vs. Iowa State

A photo gallery of the men's basketball game against Iowa State Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

KANSAS 36, IOWA STATE 25

Halftime

Just as I put this one to bed, Iowa State pulls within nine and briefly makes it look like a game. As soon as the Cyclones pulled close, Collins responded with a basket and re-claimed control of the offense.

Kansas continued to cement its legacy as the greatest "end of the first half" team in basketball history by scoring yet another buzzer-beating bucket before going into the locker room.

Iowa state is hitting less than 30 of its shots and Brackins, although he has nine points, has had to fight harder than usual just to get open.

The Cyclones picked up a little momentum before the break, but they'll need a lot more help if they actually want to make this a game.

KANSAS 30, IOWA STATE 13

3:54 left in the first half

The only question now is whether Kansas will let off the gas enough for Iowa State to make the score seem respectable. Other than that, the Jays have proving, without a doubt, who the better team is tonight.

Cole Aldrich is already approaching a double-double, Marcus Morris has six points and Collins is doing whatever he wants in the lane. Kansas put this one to bed early, and that's exactly what it needed to do.

KANSAS 26, IOWA STATE 13

7:18 left in the first half

Cyclones not named Craig Brackins are now on the board, but it hasn't helped Iowa State climb any closer.

Cole Aldrich is owning the paint and Collins' dribble-drive hasn't looked this good in awhile. He's penetrating at will and it's resulted in a couple sweet passes to the wing, where Brady Morningstar is 2-of-2 behind the three-point line.

KANSAS 19, IOWA STATE 7

10:42 left in the first half

Kansas 19, Craig Brackins 7. Brackins has all of Iowa State's points, and that's terrible news if your a Cyclone.

Kansas is still doing a good job of making Brackins receive the ball more than 10 feet away from the basket. He's still been able to score from there, but he's had to work pretty hard for it.

For Kansas, Collins leads the way with seven points. The Jays are out-rebounding the Cyclones 14-7.

KANSAS 14, IOWA STATE 2

15:31 left in the first half

Well, that wasn't quite what the Cyclones were looking for.

Less than two minutes into the game, Iowa State Greg McDermott called a timeout after Sherron Collins' steal and layup put Kansas up 8-0.

The Jays continued to pile it on from there and they already have a comfortable lead. Iowa State's Craig Brackins, who scored 42 points in the first meeting, has had trouble just catching the ball. That was a focus for Kansas' defense coming into the game and thus far they've made him fight just to get open.

6:45 p.m.

Kansas has been in this position before. A Big 12 bottom-feeder comes into town when there's a big game on the horizon.

Last time it was Colorado, and after owning the first half, Kansas had to fight for a 66-61 victory. This time it's the Cyclones in Lawrence to face the Jayhawks, who couldn't be blamed for looking ahead a little to Monday night's monster match-up in Norman.

Don't get me wrong, I fully expect the Jays to win tonight. But, like that game against the Buffs, this one may get a little too close after Kansas lets off the pedal.