Iowa State and a path to the NCAA Tournament Final Four

When it comes down to it, there are several key factors that ultimately result in a team advancing or not in the NCAA Tournament.

For the most part, Iowa State checks those boxes, as many have them putting together an extended run in March Madness.

The loss of Keshon Gilbert obviously hurts, and the status of Tamin Lipsey remains a bit of a question mark after he missed the final game of the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

But these Cyclones have dealt with adversity throughout the season, relying on sixth-man Curtis Jones and the always-relevant defensive mind of head coach TJ Otzelberger.

So, if Iowa State is going to make it to San Antonio and the Final Four, who would have possibly have to defeat along the way? Well, here is one potential path for the Cyclones to take.

NCAA TOURNAMENT POTENTIAL FINAL FOUR PATH FOR IOWA STATE

First Round

Lipscomb

The Cyclones should have little trouble even without Lipsey in this one. Lipscomb, winners of the Atlantic Sun, ran just 84th in the NET, with 22 of the 23 wins this year coming out of Quad 3 and 4.

Second Round

North Carolina

One of the most talked about at-large selections, the Tar Heels have something to prove. I expect them to handle business vs. San Diego State before getting by a tough Ole Miss squad to set up this contest.

Sweet 16

Michigan State

There shouldn’t be too much of a struggle for the Spartans to reach this point. Legendary head coach Tom Izzo has an impressive track record in the NCAA Tournament, and this Michigan State team is loaded with Jase Richardson and several standouts.

Elite Eight

Auburn

Remember back at the Maui Invitational when Iowa State had Auburn on the ropes and the Tigers rallied? Well, how about a little rematch in Atlanta? Auburn held the No. 1 spot for several weeks after that win before slipping a bit here late. They were SEC regular season champions, though, and would be a difficult out.

Final Four

Florida

Nothing like playing back-to-back SEC teams, right? The Gators claimed their conference tournament and are the No. 4 team in NET with 11 Quad 1 victories.

Overview

If this were to come to fruition, first off I’d be disappointed in myself for not placing some money on it all. But this could go down as one of the toughest paths to the Final Four in recent memory. Combined, Florida, Auburn and Michigan State own 40 Quad 1 wins and are 20-1 vs. Quad 2 teams.