Iowa State Basketball Proves They Are Elite in Loss to Arizona Wildcats

Are the Iowa State Cyclones a true contender despite a loss to the Arizona Wildcats?

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

Coming off a couple of signature wins, the Iowa State Cyclones saw their journey in the Big 12 tournament come to an end on Friday night. 

Following some great performances in the Big 12 tournament, the Cyclones saw their quest for a Big 12 title come to an end against the Arizona Wildcats. While this was an extremely challenging matchup in the semifinals of the Big 12, Iowa State knew that winning the tournament would be no easy task. 

Arizona has been one of the best teams in the country this season, and one of the reasons for their success has been their depth. While Iowa State has had some success in that area, the Wildcats were the better team on Friday night. 

In the close defeat, the Cyclones proved that they could go toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country and the best team in the Big 12. During the regular season matchup, the Wildcats might have looked like the much better team, but that was not the case on Friday. 

Iowa State Proves They Can Contend 

Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'orso shooting the ball | William Purnell-Imagn Images

While there are no moral victories in the Big 12 tournament, the Cyclones have to be pleased with how they performed despite the loss. Senior guard Jaden Bradley might have taken a lot of criticism for winning the conference Player of the Year award, but he hit the game-winning shot to secure his team's win. 

Iowa State had some excellent performances from Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson, but it ultimately wasn’t enough. Momcilovic was able to total 28 points and tie his career-high with eight three-pointers made. 

Furthermore, Jefferson totaled 21 points and continued his strong play in the Big 12 tournament. While two of the stars for the Cyclones performed well, Tamin Lipsey had a bit of a tough night, scoring just eight points on two-for-11 shooting from the field. 

While the two-point loss might sting for Iowa State, this was the kind of performance that indicates they are a true contender for a championship in the NCAA tournament. Games like this are never easy to play or lose, but the Cyclones were able to go toe-to-toe with one of the best in the country for 40 minutes. 

Overall, it is tough for either team to lose a game like that on Friday, given how well both are performing. However, Iowa State will now get some rest and be ready to give it their all in the NCAA tournament.