Big 12 basketball notebook: OU's Lon Kruger impressed with Cowboys' Marcus Smart

And although it's Bedlam week, Ford seemed unphased by the little film he'd seen and the team.

Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger, however, knows all about Ford's phenom freshman Marcus Smart.

“He's a fantastic player,” Kruger said. “Great feel for making plays at great times.”

ONE GAME IN 21 DAYS

The Iowa State players are tired of playing each other. The Cyclones have played only one game in the last 21 days.

“They're so excited (to play this week),” Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We tried to simulate a game as much as possible.”

Hoiberg called the time spent away from the court “hard” on his players.

“You want practice time but this is just over the top,” Hoiberg said.

Iowa State opens its Big 12 season against Kansas, which is currently riding an 11-game win streak.

Asked if he could imagine a more difficult start, Hoibeg responded: “Just look at their home court record, it's a difficult place to complete and a difficult place to win ... but we're excited. The staff is excited.”