Iowa State Cyclones Holding Steady in Recent Men's Basketball Bracketology Update

The recent NCAA men's basketball bracketology update has the Iowa State Cyclones holding down a good spot.

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) blocks the ball as Eastern Illinois Panthers guard Andre Washington (4) shoots during the second half on December 14, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team has impressed so far in the 2025-26 season.

They entered the campaign as the No. 16 team in the country. Questions surrounded the squad after their top two scorers, Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, both exhausted eligibility. Their entire depth chart at the center position was changing following Dishon Jackson transferring to the Pittsburgh Panthers and Brandton Chatfield moving on.

Any lingering doubts about the Cyclones have been washed away. The team is playing at a high level and owns the most impressive win of the year, defeating the No. 1-ranked Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena by 23 points.

That win helped catapult the Cyclones to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s tournament bracketology predictions shared by Joe Lunardi of ESPN. With their undefeated record intact, they remain at the top line.

What seed did Iowa State get in recent Bracketology update?

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger calls a play from the bench against Alcorn State Braves during the first half on Dec. 3, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They are off to one of the best starts in program history and are showing no signs of slowing down after winning the Cy-Hawk Rivalry game against the Iowa Hawkeyes this past week and beating the Eastern Illinois Panthers by 25.

Iowa State didn’t move in this week’s projections, remaining the No. 1 seed in the South Region. That means playing the Round of 64 and the Round of 32 games in St. Louis, Missouri. Should they advance to the second weekend, they would be playing in Houston, Texas, for regionals.

To make it to the Sweet 16 out of their pod, the Cyclones would have to defeat the No. 16 seed Play-In Game between the Southern Panthers and Norfolk State Spartans, the automatic qualifiers from the SWAC and MEAC. In the 8/9 game, it would be the Clemson Tigers facing off against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Big 12 is best conference in college basketball

Mar 11, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Big 12 logo center court prior to the game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

A lot is going to change between now and Selection Sunday, but Iowa State is in a great spot. Their Big 12 schedule is going to present plenty of challenges, with 10 teams from the conference projected to be in the field. That is tied with the Big Ten for the most representatives.

Quad 1 and 2 opportunities will be plentiful during Big 12 play. The Utah Utes are the lowest team in the NET Rankings in the conference at No. 147. The Cincinnati Bearcats, at No. 128, are the only other team outside of the top 100.

A lot of resume-building games will be on the docket for teams looking to improve their standing for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.