At 14-13 overall and 5-8 in the Big 12 Conference, Iowa State’s basketball team currently is not in the mix for an at-large berth in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

The Cyclones – most pundits would agree – will have to win three or four games at the league’s postseason tourney in Oklahoma City to garner an invitation to the Big Dance.

The Postseason NIT, however, may be a more realistic possibility considering the interest in basketball in Ames, Iowa, and the likelihood of big crowds in Hilton Coliseum for any postseason action.

It’s definitely something to discuss around the water cooler as March Madness approaches, anyway.

“Would an NIT or NCAA bid be great for our program? Absolutely,” said Greg McDermott, whose first Cyclone team will be trying for a resume builder today against Kansas. Tip is 5 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.

“Is it something I’m losing sleep over at this point in time? No,” he added. “We have a lot of issues with our team that we’re trying to improve. That’s our No. 1 priority.”

The Cyclones, who have won two of three games, including Wednesday’s 55-53 decision over Colorado in Ames, will travel to Nebraska next Wednesday and close the regular season against Texas Tech on March 3 in Hilton Coliseum.

After that it’s one to four games in the Big 12 tourney, meaning there’s not much margin for error.

“I’ve never addressed it with any team I’ve coached,” McDermott said of postseason hopes. “You play the game and get ready for each on a day-to-day basis and do the best you can at that particular practice. When all is said and done, if somebody evaluates that you won enough to be selected for an NIT or NCAA bid, so be it.”

ISU junior Jiri Hubalek, who scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Cyclones’ 68-64 overtime loss to KU on Jan. 13 in Ames, wants to play somewhere, anywhere this postseason.

“The NCAA is still priority. We can win the Big 12 tournament and be there,” he told the Des Moines Register. “The NIT is a great opportunity too. Any game after the season would be a great experience for us.”

Of the postseason, guard Mike Taylor (21 points, four assists against KU) said, “I just want us as a team to get better and understand what coach McDermott’s been trying to teach us. If we end up in a tournament, that would be great, too.”

¢ Nose for ball: Wesley Johnson, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound freshman from Corsicana, Texas, averages 12.1 points and 8.3 rebounds a game.

He had 14 points and 11 boards in the first KU game.

“He is good at anticipating where the ball may come off the rim based on where the shot is taken. He makes an effort to get there. It’s half the battle,” McDermott said.

“It’s the common denominator with any great rebounder. They will make an effort each and every time the ball goes up in the air, and that is the case with Wesley.”

Iowa State coach Greg McDermott, left, and Corey McIntosh walk off the court. The Cyclones edged Colorado, 55-53, Wednesday in Ames, Iowa.

¢ Hubalek moves inside: ISU’s Hubalek, a native of the Czech Republic, scored most of his shots last season on mid-range jumpers.

It took a while for his new coach to convince the big man to be more of an inside presence.

Hubalek missed three long-range jumpers in a 75-56 loss to Ohio State, earning him just five minutes of playing time that day and a meeting in the coach’s office. McDermott told the player to play inside or not play at all.

He’s taken to coaching and averages 11.3 points and 6.8 boards a game. In Big 12 play, Hubalek averages 12.8 points and 7.8 rebounds.

“The coaching staff has really helped me out on how to read a defense when I have the ball in the block,” Hubalek said. “They have taught me how to understand the game down low, like when to slow down on a double-team and what to do at a certain moment.”

McDermott has been pleased with the player’s willingness to accept coaching.

“Jiri is playing with a lot of confidence right now, but more importantly, his teammates have confidence in him,” McDermott said. “If he can put on 25 pounds this offseason, the sky is the limit. He could possibly even make a lot of money someday playing this game.”

Of Hubalek, junior Rahshon Clark said: “The coaching staff has really worked with him, and his post moves are great. We did not see that out of Jiri last year. Both Jiri and the coaching staff have done a terrific job in his development as a post player.”

¢ Times change: ISU, which has three double-digit scorers in Taylor (17.1 ppg), Hubalek (12.8) and Johnson (12.0), has won two of its past three league games. A lot has changed for both teams since KU’s overtime win over ISU in Ames.

“Even though it was only a month and a half, it seems like a long time ago, and a lot of games have happened since then,” KU coach Bill Self said.

“I think we’re a better team than when we played them the first time. I think we were lucky to win the first time. They controlled the game for the most part and got it in a style that gave them the best chance and limited fast-break opportunities and limited possessions.

“I know we’ve got to guard and rebound and keep doing the things we’ve been doing in order to look good because that’s the biggest reason we’ve played better lately.”