Iowa State Basketball Predicted To Breeze Past Tennessee State in NCAA Tournament

Will the first-round matchup for the Iowa State Cyclones be an easy one?

Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger gives direction during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Following a successful Big 12 tournament run in which they won a couple of games, the Iowa State Cyclones are a team heading into the NCAA tournament with some momentum. 

Even though things weren’t going great for the Cyclones heading into the Big 12 tournament, they were seemingly able to flip the script of late. Iowa State had some of the most dominant showings of any team in a conference tournament, and their matchup against the Arizona Wildcats was a classic. 

While they might not have come away with the win in that game, they did prove they can beat and contend with any team in the country. Fortunately, their region appears to be a favorable one for them. However, while it is undoubtedly easy to look ahead, they also must be focused on the task at hand. 

The Cyclones will be playing the Tennessee State Tigers in the first round, and they are the winners of the Ohio Valley Conference. Even though they might have been able to win their conference tournament, the early outlook for them having a chance against Iowa State doesn’t appear to be great. 

ESPN’s BPI prediction for the Cyclones was a very favorable one, with them giving them a 94 percent chance of winning the game. 

Iowa State Projected to Have Comfortable Win

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson | William Purnell-Imagn Images

With it being a two-seed against a 15-seed, the expectation is that the Cyclones should be able to handle the Tigers relatively easily. However, this is March Madness, and anything can happen. 

It was certainly important that Iowa State did end up securing a spot on the two-line, which makes their first-round game a bit easier. Sometimes a 14 seed or a 13 seed can sneak up on a team, but it is ultra-rare that a 15 seed pulls off the victory. 

Tennessee State is a team that will be trying to speed up the pace on Iowa State, which could result in a lopsided game. The Cyclones generally are a team that is going to have more possessions than their opponents, with their ability to turn teams over and get after it on the offensive glass. 

While no game in March is ever easy, Iowa State should be fairly confident going into this one. The Tigers will try to turn over the Cyclones and force them into mistakes, but it is hard to imagine that they will be a real threat.