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Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State Basketball Gets Favorable Region Draw in 2026 NCAA Tournament

The Iowa State Cyclones are in a great spot heading into the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Kenneth Teape|
Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) leaves the game during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at T-Mobile Center.
Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) leaves the game during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

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Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team has proven to be one of the best in the country with a 27-7 record heading into the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

They were a lock for the tournament heading into the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, but used the trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to improve their outlook for the selection committee.

After making history with their 49-point win over the Arizona State Sun Devils in their second round matchup and defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the quarterfinals, the Cyclones lost a thriller to the Arizona Wildcats.

Jaden Bradley knocked down a jumper at the buzzer to eliminate Iowa State, but the performance helped push the Cyclones to the two-line for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. And, as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, they have received an incredible draw.

Iowa State lands favorable spot in Midwest Region

Iowa State Cyclones bench reacts after play.
Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones bench reacts after a play during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Their first opponent, in the Round of 64, will be the Tennessee State Tigers, the automatic qualifiers from the Ohio Valley Conference, who are the No. 15 seed. That game will be played in St. Louis on March 22.

Should Iowa State win that game, they will face the winner of the game between the No. 7 seed Kentucky Wildcats, an at-large team from the SEC, and the No. 10 seed Santa Clara Broncos, an at-large qualifier from the West Coast Conference.

The No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region is the Virginia Cavaliers, who lost in the ACC championship game to the Duke Blue Devils, who are the No. 1 overall seed in this year’s tournament.

On the other end of the region, there is a team Iowa State is very familiar with. The No. 5 seed is Texas Tech. For them to match up a third time this season, the Red Raiders have their work cut out for them.

They have to overcome a season-ending injury to JT Toppin and see how guard Christian Anderson responds after injuring his groin in the quarterfinal game. A tough Round of 64 game with the Arkon Zips awaits.

To set up a third game with the Cyclones, Texas Tech would have potential matchups with the No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 1 seed Michigan Wolverines. Getting through that gauntlet healthy would be a challenge; shorthanded, it will be a tall task.

Landing in the Midwest Region is an excellent turn of events for Iowa State. The combined ranking of the top four seeds is 36; for context, the East Region, which is where Duke is, has a combined ranking of 31, insinuating that this group of teams is much tougher since they are higher ranked. The South Region is 32, and the West Region is 37.

For a team that won three out of four games heading into the NCAA tournament with their star Joshua Jefferson peaking, the Cyclones are in a great spot. There is a legitimate path to the Final Four in what is a favorable region based on rankings.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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