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No. 2 Kansas faces Iowa State with perfect record on line

Jan 23, 2008 - 2:29 PM Iowa St (12-6) at No. 2 Kansas (18-0) 7:00 pm EST

LAWRENCE, Kansas (Ticker) - After being tested in its last game, second-ranked Kansas returns home Wednesday to face Iowa State in a Big 12 Conference matchup.

The Jayhawks (18-0, 3-0 Big 12) are coming off a 76-70 win over Missouri on Saturday. Kansas had an average victory margin of 25.5 points in its first 17 games of the season.

Kansas is off to its best start since the 1996-97 team began a school-record 22-0.

Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur leads four Kansas players in double figures at 13.2 points per game. Junior guard Mario Chalmers averages 12.5 points, senior forward Darnell Jackson 12.3 and junior guard Brandon Rush 11.8.

The Cyclones have won five of their last six games and nine of 11, but clearly face their toughest test to date.

"They're as talented a team as there is in the country," Iowa State coach Greg McDermott said. "For someone to beat them, they're going to have to play a perfect game, especially in Allen Fieldhouse, and hope Kansas is not at the top of their game."

Sophomore guard Wesley Johnson, coming off a career-high 24 points in Saturday's 73-66 home victory over Oklahoma State, leads the Cyclones with 13.9 points per game. Johnson has averaged 22.0 points in his last three games.

The Jayhawks have won four straight and 11 of the last 13 games against Iowa State.