Iowa State Cyclones Receive Surprisingly Low Seed in Bracketology Prediction

Where did the Iowa State Cyclones land in a recent NCAA Men's Bracketology prediction.

Jan 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger reacts from the sideline against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at Fifth Third Arena. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones got off to a historic start in the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season, winning their first 16 games.

That historic start put them in a position to make more program history. No Cyclones team has ever been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but for about a month, Iowa State was on the one-seed line in Bracketology projections.

Alas, things changed rapidly when they suffered a two-game losing streak. Defeat at the hands of the Kansas Jayhawks and Cincinnati Bearcats, both on the road, caused the Cyclones to slide from No. 2 in the AP Poll down to No. 9.

As a result of the back-to-back losses, Iowa State also saw its Bracketology projections change for the worse. They dropped from a one-seed down to a three-seed in some projections.

Where did Iowa State land in recent Bracketology predictions?

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger congratulates forward Joshua Jefferson (5) after a triple-double during the second half against UFC in the Big-12 conference men’s basketball on Jan. 20, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With their backs up against the wall, the Cyclones were able to get back on track over the last week. They handled business against the UCF Knights, snapping their losing streak with a dominant 87-57 victory in which Joshua Jefferson recorded a triple-double.

Their two-game road losing streak was snapped when they defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys 83-71. Back on track, it was fair for people to think they would be moving back up the rankings, but that isn’t the case with recent NCAA Men’s Bracketology predictions shared by James Fletcher III of On3.

Even with their two straight wins, Iowa State remains a three-seed, for now. They hold that spot in the East Region, with Round of 64 and Round of 32 games scheduled to be played in Oklahoma City.

Should they win and advance against the No. 14 seed Oakland Grizzlies out of the Horizon League, they would be in line to face the winner of the No. 6 vs. No. 11 matchup with the North Carolina Tar Heels and Miami (OH) RedHawks.

Cyclones still have chance to earn No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) and Iowa State Cyclones forward Killyan Toure (27) celebrate after win 87-57 over UCF in the Big-12 conference men’s basketball on Jan. 20, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 1 seed in the East Region right now is the Duke Blue Devils, led by freshman Cameron Boozer. A familiar foe, their Big 12 rivals, Kansas, are the No. 4 seed.

It is a surprising turn of events, especially when taking into consideration that the Purdue Boilermakers, whom the Cyclones blew out earlier in the season and are currently riding a two-game losing streak of their own, remained a No. 2 seed.

There is still a lot that could change between now and Selection Sunday. T.J. Otzelberger and his squad will have numerous opportunities to continue solidifying their resume, looking to move up in the AP Poll and improve their seed line for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.