Thomas comes off bench, Cyclones lose

For the first time this season, freshman Matt Thomas didn’t start for the Iowa State men’s basketball team.

And for the second time this season – and second consecutive game – the Cyclones lost.

Thomas, an Onalaska, Wis., native, played just 16 minutes as eighth-ranked Iowa State fell at home to No. 15 Kansas 77-70 on Monday. 

Thomas was just 1-for-5 from the field, but did have two rebounds, three blocked shots, a steal and an assist in 16 minutes.

The Jayhawks (12-4, 3-0 Big 12) got 17 points, 19 rebounds from freshman phenom Andrew Wiggins. 

Naadir Tharpe and Joel Embiid – another freshman phenom and between him and Wiggins, they could go Nos. 1-2 in the NBA draft next season – combined to go 14-for-17 from the field in scoring 29 points.

It was a 36-36 game at halftime, but Iowa State (14-2, 2-2) shot just 24 percent in the second half. The Cyclones were an abysmal 4-for-25 from beyond the arc and got outrebounded an incredible 56-36.