Iowa State Cyclones Rise in Recent Bracketology Projections

How much did the Iowa State Cyclones rise in recent bracketology projections?

Jan 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger answers questions from the media after his team’s game against Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Following their worst week of the season, the Iowa State Cyclones were able to bounce back this past week with two much-needed wins. Now, the team is seeking to get back to where they were. 

The Cyclones shocked most of the nation, getting off to a 16-0 start that included some marquee wins over strong opponents. The fantastic start was the best in the history of the program, and it resulted in them being the number two-ranked team in the country. Furthermore, they were also a projected number one seed for the NCAA Tournament at the time. 

However, the two losses knocked them down in the AP Poll from second to ninth, but a nice week has moved them back up one spot to eighth. Also, as expected with the team dropping in the AP Poll, they also saw their projected seed drop from a one-seed to a three-seed. However, a couple of wins have been able to change that for the positive. 

Joe Lunardi of ESPN recently released his latest bracketology projections, and following a strong week, the Iowa State Cyclones were able to move back up to being a two-seed following a drop. 

Iowa State Trending in the Right Direction

Up A Spot#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/Swlbloj399

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 26, 2026

With the Cyclones getting back in the win column, it helped them not only move up in the AP Poll but also in the most recent bracketology projections. Iowa State is now being listed as a two-seed in the Midwest region, with the Michigan Wolverines as the one seed. 

This is a good move up for the program, and they will undoubtedly be looking to continue to rise. There are a couple of easy games coming up on the schedule for the Cyclones, and stacking wins is always important. However, in order to get back to being a number one seed, it is going to take some wins against elite opponents. Iowa State is going to have a chance to get those types of wins in the near future. 

With games coming up in the middle of February to the end of the year against the Kansas Jayhawks, BYU Cougars, Houston Cougars, Texas Tech Red Raiders, and the Arizona Wildcats, the end of the season is going to be wild for the program. 

While winning all of those games isn’t realistic, Iowa State has proven themselves against good competition already this year. If they can sustain their level of performance, they could fight their way back to a one seed.