Iowa State Cyclones Shockingly Jumped by Big East School in NCAA Power Rankings

The Iowa State Cyclones have been playing some really good basketball this season. However, a recent power ranking had them slip a little bit.

With just a few games left to play in the regular season, the Cyclones have emerged as one of the best teams not only in the Big 12 but in the entire country this year. Iowa State has been able to exceed all expectations with a solid group that has a nice mix of talent.

While the Cyclones have been able to have some stars emerge for the program, the depth of the unit has also been strong. This is a recipe for success, and the Cyclones will ultimately be thinking about making some noise in the NCAA Tournament.

However, while that is the ultimate goal, they should also be focused on trying to finish off the season strong in order to secure a spot on the one-line. Unfortunately, competition for that spot is going to be tough, and a recent win by another school has helped them jump the Cyclones in the power rankings.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN recently released his NCAA power rankings for the week. For the Cyclones, they dropped one spot with the UConn Huskies somewhat surprisingly jumping them.

Huskies Make a Move

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley coaching on the sideline — UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Despite it being a Big East matchup between the Huskies and the St. John’s Red Storm, it was a game of importance for Iowa State. As the Cyclones hope to be a number one seed in March Madness, it very well could come down to them or UConn.

Following their loss to the Red Storm earlier in the season, the Huskies came out and absolutely clobbered them in the rematch. St. John’s struggled to make a basket in the second half against the UConn defense, and it was a statement win against a Top 25 school.

However, with some marquee wins of their own of late, it is a bit surprising to see the Cyclones get jumped by the Huskies. The Big East has not been a good basketball conference this year, and it wasn’t too long ago that UConn lost to the Creighton Bluejays at home.

With three games left until the Big 12 tournament, the next two games will be especially key for Iowa State. They will be facing the No. 16-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, followed by a matchup on the road against the Arizona Wildcats. This stretch will be key and ultimately decide where they land in March Madness.