Iowa State Basketball Can Beat Any Team With Star Performing Well Again

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting set for the start of the NCAA tournament next week, and they should feel good about how they performed in the Big 12 tournament.

While the Cyclones might have ultimately lost to the Arizona Wildcats, who were both the regular-season and postseason champions in the conference, they went toe-to-toe with them in Kansas City and should be pleased with their performance.

If not for a buzzer-beater on a miraculous shot by Jaden Bradley, Iowa State might have been the team that could have won the Big 12 title. However, they ultimately came up just short, but there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Coming into the tournament, there was some concern about how the team was performing down the stretch. Losing three out of their last five games was far from ideal, but the team has now built some momentum back up.

Being ready for a successful run in the NCAA tournament is undoubtedly the ultimate goal for the team, and their performance in the Big 12 was encouraging. As expected, with the team doing well, there were multiple players who played well. While it was nice to see Killyan Toure build some confidence against the Wildcats, the play of star forward Joshua Jefferson was really key in the three-game span.

Jefferson Playing Elite

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson driving to the hoop — Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson | William Purnell-Imagn Images

To start the season, there were a few players in the country playing as well as the senior forward for the Cyclones. Jefferson was in the early conversation for the National Player of the Year but ultimately came back down to earth a bit in conference play.

However, even though he might not have been playing at an elite level, he was still performing very well. In the Big 12, it was the Jefferson that everyone saw to start the season once again. In each of the games, he was able to total at least 20 points in a fairly efficient manner.

The boost in scoring was certainly a good thing to see, especially considering all of the other things he does well on the court. Jefferson is a great rebounder and is also capable of having the offense run through him as a strong passer.

Overall, Jefferson playing the way he currently is has resulted in the outlook for the Cyclones looking much better. When he is playing at an elite level, they have shown they can compete with any team in the country.