Iowa State Cyclones Men's Basketball Team Inches Closer to Top of AP Poll Top 25

The Iowa State Cyclones are one of five remaining undefeated teams in men's college basketball and their AP Poll ranking reflects that.

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger calls a play during the second half against Oklahoma State in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 10, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to keep their undefeated record intact for another week, beating the Baylor Bears on the road and the Oklahoma State Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum in their most recent matchups.

Now 16-0 on the season and 3-0 in Big 12 play, the Cyclones continue to cement their status as one of the true contenders in men’s college basketball. They will be tested in their next game, heading on the road to face the Kansas Jayhawks, who fell out of the AP Poll Top 25 this week.

There was a lot of shakeup in Week 10 of the rankings. With conference schedules now fully underway, teams are facing off against rivals that they know all too well, creating some incredible matchups on the hardwood.

Iowa State knows that it is going to get the best effort from all of its opponents. Every team wants to be known as the one to give the Cyclones their first loss of the campaign.

Where is Iowa State ranked in Top 25 poll?

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) drives with the ball to the basket around Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Christian Coleman (4) during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 10, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jayhawks will be the next team to have the opportunity to do so, and Iowa State will have a new number alongside their name. The Cyclones are now the No. 2-ranked team in the AP Poll Top 25 as one of only five undefeated teams that remain.

They moved up one spot in the rankings after the Michigan Wolverines were defeated by the Wisconsin Badgers in a stunning upset. Still residing atop the rankings is one of the Cyclones’ Big 12 rivals, the Arizona Wildcats.

They received 60 out of 61 first-place votes, with the single outlier being a vote for Iowa State. The Wildcats have earned the right to be the No. 1-ranked team in the country, owning a 16-0 record and coming off a win on the road over the TCU Horned Frogs.

With Michigan’s loss, the UConn Huskies have moved into the No. 3 spot. The Wolverines fell two spots to No. 4, with the Purdue Boilermakers rounding out the top five.

Trending ⬆️ #Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/VVZAMPmNyg

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 12, 2026

Navigating their Big 12 schedule will present plenty of obstacles for the Cyclones as they look to keep their winning streak alive. There are six teams from the conference currently ranked, and all of them are in the top 15. Two more teams, Kansas and the UFC Knights, received votes to be in the top 25.

Two of the other undefeated programs in the county, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores, continued moving up the rankings as well. They are Nos. 8 and 10, respectively. The only undefeated squad that is not in the Top 25 is the Miami (OH) RedHawks, who still have some work to do.

They are moving up slowly but surely, placing 29th after being 30th last week. The RedHawks received 49 points, which puts them 87 points behind the Seton Hall Pirates, who moved into No. 25 this week.