Iowa State Cyclones Hold Court in Recent NCAA Men's Bracketology Update

Where do the Iowa State Cyclones land in the most recent NCAA Men's Bracketology update?

Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) drives with the ball around Houston Christian Huskies guard D'Aundre Samuels (5) during the first half in the NCAA men’s basketball on Dec. 29. 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the second time under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, the Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team has navigated its non-conference schedule with an undefeated record.

After taking down the Houston Christian Huskies 89-60 at Hilton Coliseum, the Cyclones moved to 13-0. It was their final tune-up before getting their conference schedule underway. Iowa State will be back on the court Jan. 2 against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first Big 12 men’s basketball game of the season.

They have been one of the most dominant teams in the country thus far in the 2025-26 season, which is reflected in the most recent NCAA Men’s Bracketology update provided by Joe Lunardi of ESPN.

Since their historic victory over the Purdue Boilermakers on Dec. 6, the lead bracketologist has had the Cyclones locked into a No. 1 seed in his tournament predictions. That remains the case in his most recent update provided.

Where is Iowa State seeded in recent Bracketology?

Dec 29, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches his team play the Houston Christian Huskies during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Iowa State remains the No. 1 seed in the South Region, with games during the first weekend being held in St. Louis. They are projected to play against the winner of the No. 16 seed play-in game between the Milwaukee Panthers, the automatic qualifiers from the Horizon League, and the Grambling State Tigers of the SWAC.

The Cyclones already dominated the Tigers once this year, back on Nov. 6. In their second game of the season, Iowa State ran them out of Hilton Coliseum, 102-62.

Should the Cyclones survive that opener, they would face the winner of the 8/9 game between the Clemson Tigers, an at-large team from the ACC, and the Seton Hall Pirates out of the Big East as an at-large team.

High-profile rematches could occur in the South Region when games move to Houston, Texas, for the Regionals. Projected to be the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds are the Boilermakers and BYU Cougars, two of the top 10-ranked teams in the country heading into conference play.

OUR Coach‼️#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/1L0eoPHhx0

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) December 30, 2025

There is still a lot that could change between now and Selection Sunday, but it is clear that Iowa State is in the driver’s seat for a No. 1 if they can handle business. Alas, that is easier said than done because they will be navigating a gauntlet of a schedule in the Big 12.

While the eight projected teams in the field are tied for the second most with the ACC behind the Big Ten and SEC with 12 apiece, an argument can be made that the Big 12 is the toughest conference in the nation.

Six teams are currently ranked in the top 17 of the Coaches Poll, including four of the top 10. In the NET Rankings, the Utah Utes are the only Big 12 team outside of the top 100 at No. 131; every other Power Conference has multiple teams in the triple digits.