The rivalry between Iowa State men's basketball and Iowa is set to heat up once again. On Thursday night, the Cyclones (7 - 1) will travel to Iowa City to take on their rivals (7 - 2) in this year's edition of the highly anticipated Cy-Hawk game. Last time out, the Hawkeyes suffered a close road loss to top 25 - ranked Michigan, while the No. 3 Cyclones are on a four - game winning streak after dismantling Jackson State. With the Hawkeyes leading the all - time series 48 - 29 and tip - off scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, available to watch on Fox Sports 1, here are three key things to watch for in this thrilling matchup.

Fast Start: A Crucial Aspect

In the past four seasons, these two teams have been involved in lopsided wins, with little drama in recent meetings. The last four games were decided by 19 or more points. If the game isn't decided in the first 10 minutes, the winning team usually builds a big lead by halftime and cruises to victory. For example, last year, Iowa State won 90 - 65, building a double - digit lead in the first 10 minutes that ballooned to a 47 - 29 halftime advantage. A season before that, the Hawkeyes raced out to a 24 - 4 lead before beating Iowa State 75 - 56. KenPom projects Iowa State as a 69% favorite to win by a final score of 83 - 78, but this rivalry hasn't seen a single - digit decision since 2017 when the Cyclones defeated the Hawkeyes at home.

Offensive Balance of the Hawkeyes

In the six years prior to this season, the Hawkeyes ranked in the top 20 in the nation for offensive efficiency according to KenPom. Entering Thursday, they are below this mark but still at 34th in the country and not to be underestimated. Saturday's loss to Michigan was their first true test this season. They won a buzzer - beater against Northwestern last week, their only other game against a power - conference opponent. The Hawkeyes had a late push on Saturday and had a chance to win on the road in the closing seconds but couldn't hold on. Sophomore forward Owen Freeman leads the Hawkeyes with 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, shooting 64.4% overall. Experienced veteran Payton Sandfort is close behind with 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, although his shooting has been spotty at 38.6% with a 31.5% 3 - point percentage. Josh Dix (13.4 points per game) and Pryce Sandfort (10.0 points per game) are also averaging in double figures, and Brock Harding isn't far behind at 9.4 points per game. As with Fran McCaffery's teams over the years, these Hawkeyes love to share the ball, strike in transition and limit turnovers, boasting an assist rate of 60.2% which ranks 30th in the country. However, free throws have been a glaring issue this year as they are on pace to be McCaffery's least - efficient free - throw shooting team since 2010 - 11, converting only 66.0% of foul shots and shooting just 10 - of - 17 (58.8%) in the close loss to Michigan.

Iowa's Vulnerability to an Interior Attack

The Cyclones have multiple ways to attack the basket, whether through their frontcourt with the one - two punch of Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson or through their crafty, athletic guards slashing their way inside. Iowa ranks 326th out of 364 Division I teams for two - point shooting percentage allowed, giving up a 56.7% clip inside the arc to opponents. This is an area where Iowa State has thrived this season, especially behind Keshon Gilbert who has been on a tear since the start of the Maui Invitational. The Cyclones are one of the most efficient teams inside the arc, shooting 59.9% (15th - best in the country) this season. Both teams like to turn up the pressure, so ball security will be crucial. The Cyclones have proven they can handle it, having played a tougher schedule so far with a turnover rate of 12.9% which is the fourth - best mark in the country.