Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State Jumped by Big 12 Rivals in Newest AP Poll Top 25

The latest AP Poll Top 25 has the Iowa State Cyclones being surpassed by a Big 12 rival.
Kenneth Teape|
Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon (1) drives with the ball to the basket during the second half in the Big-12 men’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 16, 2026, in Ames, Iowa
Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon (1) drives with the ball to the basket during the second half in the Big-12 men’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 16, 2026, in Ames, Iowa | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa State CyclonesHouston Cougars

The Iowa State Cyclones ended the 2025-26 men’s college basketball regular season on a high note.

They defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils at Hilton Coliseum on Senior Day, 86-65, to snap a two-game losing streak. It was the perfect sendoff for seniors Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise, Eric Mulder and Dominick Nelson.

However, the victory didn’t keep them from dropping in the latest edition of the AP Poll Top 25. The Cyclones had been No. 6, but are now sitting at No. 7 heading into Conference Tournament Week.

Losing to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Arizona Wildcats was certainly far from ideal, but Iowa State seems to be being punished more for its losses than other teams in the rankings.

Iowa State jumped by Houston in AP Poll Top 25

Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger looking on from sidelines.
Feb 21, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger looks on during the second half against the BYU Cougars at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Both of those opponents are ranked in the AP Poll. The UConn Huskies were defeated by a Marquette Golden Eagles team that ended the regular season with a 12-19 record. Despite that, the Huskies remain ahead of the Cyclones at No. 6.

Also jumping ahead of T.J. Otzelberger and his team are one of their Big 12 rivals: the Houston Cougars. They moved up to No. 5 after avoiding an upset on the road against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, finishing the regular season on a three-game winning streak and landing the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

While some Iowa State fans will be disappointed about dropping, they are in a great spot heading into postseason play. They will have some opportunities to improve their outlook for seeding purposes in the 2026 NCAA Tournament during Big 12 tournament play.

Right now, the Cyclones are still predicted to be a No. 3 seed, behind UConn, Houston, the Illinois Fighting Illini and Michigan State Spartans in the race for a No. 2 seed. To jump up, Iowa State will need some help from the opponents of those teams, while also handling business on its own.

The Cyclones received a bye into the second round as the No. 5 seed and have to defeat whoever they match up with in that game before a potential rematch with Texas Tech. That is a must-win matchup to have any hope of moving up the seed line.

After that, a matchup with the Arizona Wildcats could await. A victory there, and subsequent appearance in the Big 12 championship game, would likely be enough to vault up to the No. 2 seed line, especially if any of the teams ahead of them falter in their respective conference tournaments.

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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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