Iowa State Putting Impressive Undefeated Record on Line Against Arizona

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is facing arguably its toughest test of the season on its second appearance on ESPN’s Big Monday.

Iowa State is heading on the road to Tucson to face off against the Arizona Wildcats at the McKale Center. Currently the No. 2 team in the AP Poll Top 25, the Cyclones are facing quite a challenge heading on the road.

Motivation should be high for an Iowa State team coming off its first home loss of the campaign at Hilton Coliseum. They were defeated by the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who rose to the occasion despite their star forward, JT Toppin, being out of the lineup after suffering a season-ending injury.

However, there is another undefeated record that the Cyclones will be looking to keep intact against the Wildcats. As shared by ESPN Insights, they are 3-0 against teams ranked in the AP Poll Top 25, which is the most wins without a defeat against such highly ranked opponents in men’s college basketball.

Iowa State is undefeated against AP Poll Top 10 opponents

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson shooting hook shot over Kansas Jayhawks forward Bryson Tiller — Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) shoots the ball over Kansas Jayhawks forward Bryson Tiller (15) during the second half in the Big-12 conference basketball showdown on Feb. 14, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of those victories did occur outside of Ames. On Dec. 6, Iowa State went into Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana, to face off against the then-No. 1-ranked Purdue Boilermakers.

It was the game that put the Cyclones on the map this season. They dismantled the Big Ten contenders in historic fashion, 81-58, for their ninth victory of the season. That win was part of a historic start to the campaign, with Iowa State winning its first 16 contests.

On Feb. 14, they picked up their second win over a top-10 team when they exacted revenge on the Kansas Jayhawks. The Cyclones returned the favor at Hilton Coliseum, winning 74-56 after being crushed at Allen Fieldhouse 84-63 on Jan. 13 for their first loss.

In the next game after defeating Kansas, Iowa State beat the No. 2-ranked Houston Cougars 70-67. An incredible comeback was mounted in that one.

ESPN Analytics gives Arizona a 73% chance to beat Iowa State tonight, but the Cyclones have made a habit of beating the best this season 👀

Iowa State is 3-0 against AP Top 10 teams this season, the most wins without a loss against Top 10 teams this season 😤 pic.twitter.com/qmHtqpiYCz
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 2, 2026

After trailing by 10 with 7:09 remaining, the Cyclones went on a 17-4 run to close out the game, punctuated by clutch 3-pointers from Jamarion Batemon and Nate Heise.

Will T.J. Otzelberger’s squad be able to run their record against AP Top 10 teams to 4-0? The odds are certainly stacked against them, with ESPN Analytics giving them a 27% chance of pulling off the upset.

Iowa State has made a habit of showing up in the biggest moments. If they can rise to the occasion one more time, they will have an outside chance of making program history and earning a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.