Big 10 School Could Be Program That Iowa State Cyclones Jump for Two Seed

As the Iowa State Cyclones get set for their final game of the regular season at home against the Arizona State Sun Devils, they should have their eyes on a massive matchup in the Big 10 on Sunday.

It has been a tough end of the regular season for the Cyclones. This is a program that has now lost three of their last four games following a couple of marquee wins and the schedule has been grueling. With a lot of travel and matchups against strong teams, it is understandable to see Iowa State slipping up a bit.

However, those three losses have had a massive impact on the program and where they are currently standing for the NCAA Tournament. Despite being considered as a one or a two-seed for most of the year, many projections have the Cyclones now falling to the three-line. This is far from ideal and would just make the road to a Final Four harder for the team.

Of the teams that have been able to get up to the two-line, arguably the most notable come from the Big 10, with both the Illinois Fighting Illini and Michigan State Spartans being projected just above Iowa State.

Can the Cyclones Hop One of These Teams?

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo upset on the sideline. — Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

When looking at the schedule, the Illini seem like they should be heading to the Big 10 tournament with one more win after they face the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday. However, the Spartans are going to have two more games, and one of them will be on the road in Michigan.

While losing on the road to one of the best teams in the country would be understandable, the Cyclones recently got knocked down following their loss in a similar situation to the Wildcats. If the same fate were to happen to Michigan State, it could open up the door for Iowa State to move back to the two-line.

Even though the NCAA tournament is right around the corner, it feels like there could still be some moving parts between the two and three line. While most of the one-seeds seem fairly set, good conference tournaments and the final games of the regular season still hold value.

For the Cyclones, they are going to have opportunities no matter where they are positioned to earn significant wins. In a perfect world, getting to a two seed would make the road a bit easier, and it seems like hoping the Spartans would be their best chance to do that