ISU vs. KU: Blood, technical fouls and buzzer beaters

AMES, Ia. – I'll betcha a Diet Coke that at least two of the following happen during Saturday's 8

p.m. Never A Dull Moment series also known as Cyclones vs. Jayhawks:

• Someone will bank in an off-balance desperation 3-pointer at the horn — likely from somewhere around half court.

•Someone, probably a player, will end up with a bloody face.

•An agitated fan will get so close to someone from the Jayhawks that security will make it look worse than it actually is.

•The Big 12 will reprimand a ref (or two) for making faulty calls.

•A player will play after having been called for his fifth foul.

•Both coaches will get technical fouls.

•Players will get flagrant fouls.

•Refs will come between trash-talking players.

•Did I mention an overtime or three?

An evening like this is why we're college basketball fans. This appointment-viewing Iowa State-Kansas game is the reason ESPN is hosting its "College GameDay" show at Hilton Coliseum on Saturday morning.

It's Fred Hoiberg against Bill Self, for golly sakes. It's Georges Niang against Perry Ellis, and Monte Morris against Frank Mason, and Dustin Hogue against that high-flyer otherwise known as Cliff Alexander.

It's 11th-ranked Iowa State (2-1 Big 12, 12-3 overall) trying to bounce back from Wednesday's one-point loss at Baylor against a ninth-rated Kansas outfit (3-0 and 14-2) that stands tall as the Big 12's lone unbeaten — and is gunning for its 11th consecutive conference championship, either won outright or shared.

If it's anything like past games, then buckle up and prepare to be entertained. History guarantees it.

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The blood bath

Score: Iowa State 94, No. 10 Kansas 83 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament last season.

Skinny: This was so aggressive that Niang left the game with 1:23 remaining, blood dripping from his right eye after taking a charge under the basket. From tipoff to horn, players entered free-throw lanes at their own risk.

"Everyone says they have more potential, more NBA draft players," Melvin Ejim said of the Jayhawks. "We won."

Niang led the Cyclones with 25 points, including 14 during the second half. He also had a game-high five stitches.

The game included Hoiberg's second technical foul of his coaching career — for walking onto the floor to greet his team during a media timeout. An official thought he was walking briskly toward him, thus the technical — and thus a curse word from Hoiberg. And then having to be restrained by players and assistants.

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Refs suspended

Score: Kansas 108, Iowa State 96 in OT on Feb. 25, 2013 in Ames:

Skinny: It was a Big 12 Conference classic, regardless of who won before a raucous, 14,376-fan sellout. There were 18 lead changes during a game in which Jayhawk Elijah Johnson scored 30 of his 39 points after halftime — and 10 in the overtime.

Iowa State led 87-82 with 44.5 seconds to play, then fell victim to Johnson, who took the game over with Kansas' next eight points, including two free throws after getting the Jayhawks' end of a block-charge situation against Niang.

"I can't get too much into that call," Hoiberg said.

Johnson added insult to loss by dunking with just a second remaining on the clock, setting off a chorus of boos and police coming between an unidentified Iowa State fan and Kansas coach Bill Self.

And don't let me forget to mention that Kansas 7-footer Jeff Withey played the last 30 seconds with five fouls. Kevin Young duped the refs into thinking a foul was on him, not Withey.

A day later, Big 12 officials admitted parts of the game were officiated poorly, including the block-charge that went against Niang.

"Officiating errors were made at the end of regulation," the Big 12 statement said. "The plays have been reviewed and appropriate measures will be taken by the Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officials to adjust the number of future assignments for the two officials involved in conjunction with Conference policies."

The Big 12 did not mention the name of the officials, but replay showed that Tom O'Neill and Bert Smith were closest to the under-the-basket plays in question.

"Kansas ... benefited from some of the most atrocious end-game officiating in recent history in Ames on Monday night," Pat Forde wrote on the Yahoo! Sports website. "(Officials) Bert Smith and Tom O'Neill should be suspended by the Big 12 for outright incompetence after robbing the Cyclones."

It didn't stop there. Seth Davis of CBS and Sports Illustrated tweeted: "About as bad as I've seen. Ref totally froze."

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Foul or no foul

Score: Kansas 97, Iowa State 89 in OT on Jan 9, 2013 at Kansas:

Skinny: Tyrus McGee DID foul Kansas' Ben McLemore with just more than a second to play. "The ref just didn't call it," Iowa State's slick-shooting guard said after McLemore's bank-three sent the game into overtime.

"I got him on the bottom of his hand. I should have smacked him in the head," McGee said.

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The return of Hilton Magic

Score: Iowa State 72, Kansas 64 on Jan. 28, 2012 in Ames.

Skinny: "Hilton Magic was definitely in full effect," Hoiberg said after his guys upset the fifth-ranked Jayhawks.

Magic was in such effect that Kansas players were forced to take an alternate route on their postgame slow walk to the locker room.

It was Iowa State's first home win against a top-five team since upsetting No. 3 Kansas in 1995.

So once again, it's Iowa State vs. Kansas.

Lights. Camera.

Game On!

Cyclone sports columnist Randy Peterson has been reporting on ISU during the past five decades. Follow @RandyPete.