PETE: And now a season-defining eight-game stretch of Iowa State men’s basketball games

We think Iowa State men’s basketball is pretty darn good. We believe it to be elite. No one would be surprised about a deep NCAA Tournament run.

But just how dynamic is the team T.J. Otzelberger and his staff coach so very well?

We’ll know by this time next month.

Over 23 days that span Saturday Jan. 11 and Monday Feb. 3, the Cyclones play eight games against seven different opponents.

Three of those games are in places we already know are among toughest Big 12 arenas for all visiting teams, not just Iowa State. Two more are in arenas of conference newbies.

The next eight games are against teams with combined records of 15-6 in the Big 12 and 75-21 overall. Four are among KenPom’s Top 20 and the NCAA’s NET rankings. Two are ranked in the Associated Press’ Top 20.

The Cyclones’ upcoming attractions also include half of the Big 12’s 10 best scoring teams, half the league’s top 10 defenses, and five of the conference’s top eight individual scorers.

And all this doesn’t even include later games at Houston and at Kansas State.

Sure, stuff can happen. Injuries can crop up in this very aggressive league. But even if a starter misses a game or two, there’s enough solid depth at every position to compensate.

If Otzelberger’steam can get through this very revealing grind with just one loss, then you can certainly start thinking about at least getting a refundable room in San Antonio the Final Four site in a few months.

At Texas Tech, Saturday 1 p.m. ESPN:Darrion Williams, a 6-foot-6 forward, averages 16.4 points a game. The Red Raiders have another Top 10 scorer in Chance McMillan (15.6), dynamic from 3-point range after making half of his first 72 long-range attempts for a team that’s 39.4% from distance this season. ESPN predictor says: ISU 51%.

Kansas, Jan. 15 at Hilton Coliseum, 6 p.m., ESPN2: While this doesn’t look, right now, like a conference title contender – don’t be fooled. Bill Self’s teams are always good. And about the time you start thinking 7-2 Hunter Dickinson is over-hyped, he’ll go off for 20 points and 20 rebounds. He had a 20-15 double-double in last season’s game in Ames – a 79-74 Cyclones victory. It’s ISU at KU on Feb. 3, by the way, also, in the finale of this eight-game segment. ESPN predictor says: ISU 64.1%.

At West Virginia, Jan. 18, 4 p.m., ESPN+: I don’t care what the Mountaineers’ record is, this is always a monster game – especially in Morgantown. We know that new West Virginia coach Darian DeVries can coach, after his great stint at Drake. His very talented son, Tucker, was one of the team’s top players, before becoming injured. ESPN predictor says: ISU 69%.

UCF, Jan. 21, 7 p.m., at Hilton Coliseum, ESPN+: The Knights don’t show up prominently in Big 12 statistics. They were 78th in the latest KenPom – but . . . .  They beat Texas A&M in the opener. They’ve beaten Milwaukee – and they’ve lost by 51 at home against Kansas. ESPN’s predictor says: ISU 93.4%.

At Arizona State, Jan 25, 1 p.m., ESPN+; then at Arizona, 9:30 p.m., Jan. 27, ESPN: This is an interesting two-game road trip to Valley of the Sun newcomers. Arizona is the better of the two teams. ESPN predictor says: ISU 77% at Arizona State, and ISU 61.7% at Arizona.

Kansas State, Feb. 1 at Hilton Coliseum, 1 p.m., ESPN: My thought on this one may change by game-time, but right now, considering last season – the hunch is that Cyclones fans, especially the ones sitting closest to the Wildcats’ bench, will be Kansas-like fired up. ESPN predictor says: ISU 93.9%.

At Kansas, Feb. 3, 8 p.m., ESPN: The Cyclones didn’t play at the museum also known as Allen Fieldhouse last season. Games at The Phog, where Iowa State hasn’t won since 92-89 in OT in 2017, are always fun. ESPN predictor: Kansas 61.9%.

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TIMEOUT MEANDERINGS

The under 16: Will Iowa State move up a rung to at least No. 2 in the ratings next week, after Florida demolished top-ranked Tennessee by 30 on Tuesday?

Under 12:Tamin Lipsey doesn’t need to score, for Iowa State to be a national title contender, although he had 20 points in Tuesday’s win against Utah. Against the Utes, the Ames junior also grabbed seven rebounds, had two steals, and went 11-of-14 at the free-throw line.

Under 8: Celebrating Larry Eustachy’s 2000 and 2001 teams last Saturday was cool beyond words. The Johnny’s sports bar at Hilton is usually packed at halftime, but it looked like no one left their seat during the halftime well-deserved recognition.

Under 4:Bob Huggins to become the next Miami coach? That’d be awesome.

(Randy Peterson can be reached at randypete4846@gmail.com or at any Okoboji-area beverage/food establishment between the hours of open and close)