Iowa State already matched up against one freshman phenom when the Cyclones lost to Ohio State and 7-1 center Greg Oden and now they prepare to face the other on Saturday. Texas freshman Kevin Durant is the leading scorer in the Big-12 Conference and averages over 32-and-a-half points per game.

Iowa State coach Greg McDermott says it’s one thing to splash onto the scene and have early success, but now teams have seen Durant and haven’t been able to find ways to slow him down. McDeromtt says Durant is nearly impossible to guard as he can shoot three’s or post up. McDermott says Durant has show the ability to take over basketball games and is a "terrific talent."

McDermott calls Durants performance "incredible," and it’s not coming on a bad team with no balance. He says Durant doesn’t seem to take a lot of bad shots and has unbelievable shot selection for the number of shots he takes. The Cyclones have lost six of their last seven and stand 3-6 in the Big-12 and 12-11 overall. The Longhorns are ranked 25th and are 6-3 in the conference race and 16-7 overall.