Breaking Down Iowa State as an NCAA Tournament Contender

Will the Iowa State Cyclones be able to contend for a national championship this year?

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) drives to the basket around Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts (3) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have had an unbelievable season. They sit at 27-7, 12-6 in the Big 12, the toughest conference in college basketball, and have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the country. Iowa State is clearly one of the nation’s best teams.

But now the question isn’t whether the Cyclones are good or not; everyone knows the answer to that. Instead, the real question is whether Iowa State is elite enough to win a national championship.

And the answer is clearly yes.

The Cyclones have everything a national champion needs. A good defense that can stabilize a game, an offense that can win any game, a combination of players that are unique but work together like a machine, a coach that has proven himself all season and overall a brotherhood that many teams fail to achieve.

Iowa State has champion characteristics

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches the game from the bench during the second half in the Big-12 conference men’s basketball against Texas Tech on Feb. 28, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

But it’s not just the team dynamic that has helped them, but the resume they have built throughout the season.

Iowa State has wins over the two-seed Purdue Boilermakers, the two-seed Houston Cougars, the four-seed Texas Tech Red Raiders, the four-seed Kansas Jayhawks, the five-seed St. John’s Red Storm, the nine-seed Iowa Hawkeyes, and the 10-seed UCF Knights as a part of their 27 wins.

They have winning streaks of 16 games and five games this season, which could help, as they only need six to win the NCAA tournament. Their only loss to a non-NCAA tournament team was on the road to the Cincinnati Bearcats, who barely missed out.

The Cyclones have proven that they can beat anyone on any given day and could certainly make a run to the championship.

Cyclones have favorable path to Final Four

Mar 2, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Iowa State comes into the bracket as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, where they will take on the 15th-seeded Tennessee State Tigers in the Round of 64.

Interestingly, they have a favorable region that could take them a long way. The top seed in the region is the Michigan Wolverines. That’s a tough one for sure, but Michigan has shown cracks throughout the year.

Even teams such as the Virginia Cavaliers and Texas Tech have had big issues this year. Also, the Cyclones just dominated the Red Raiders last week.

Iowa State can absolutely win a national championship in April. The characteristics that the Cyclones possess are unique yet important to teams that want to make a run.

When it’s all said and done, three weeks from now, there’s a solid chance that Iowa State hoists its first-ever national championship.