Kansas Jayhawks Leave Door Open for Iowa State Cyclones' Double-Bye Hopes

What did a recent loss for the Kansas Jayhawks mean for the Iowa State Cyclones?

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches the game from the bench during the second half in the Big-12 conference men’s basketball against Texas Tech on Feb. 28, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Even though the Iowa State Cyclones were off on Tuesday night following a loss to the Arizona Wildcats, the team did see some good things happen for them in the Big 12. 

With just one game remaining at home against the Arizona State Sun Devils, the Cyclones are set to wrap up what has been a very successful season. Even though they have been limping a bit down the stretch, this is still a team that has a lot of potential and could make some noise in the NCAA tournament. 

However, before that tournament begins, they will have to face some foes from the Big 12. This conference has arguably been the best in basketball all year, and there are numerous teams that could compete for a spot in the final four. 

If the teams really give it their all to win the tournament, the Big 12 is going to be must-see. However, there is a possibility that some of the contenders might be looking ahead to the NCAA, and that could result in some upsets. 

As teams battle for positioning, the Cyclones recently caught a break with the Kansas Jayhawks suffering a shocking loss to the Sun Devils. 

Kansas Leaves the Door Open

Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With each team having one game remaining, it is the Jayhawks who hold the tiebreaker against Iowa State because of their win against Arizona earlier in the year. Following the Iowa State loss on Big Monday, it appeared that they were destined to be the five-seed and wouldn’t have qualified for the double bye. 

However, despite being a favorite on the road, the Jayhawks dropped the ball. Head coach Bill Self was ejected from the game, and it was just a really disappointing performance by them. 

Now, while Iowa State will be hosting that same Sun Devils team on Saturday, Kansas will be hosting their in-state rivals the Kansas State Wildcats. The Wildcats have really struggled in Big 12 play this year, and the Jayhawks will undoubtedly be a massive favorite. 

Even though it is still unlikely that the Cyclones will be able to get the fourth seed at this point, it has become a whole lot more interesting. Tuesday was a wild one in the conference with some shockingly bad performances and upset galore. With the tournaments right around the corner, teams could be looking ahead, and upsets could still happen. 

While getting the double-bye would be nice, Iowa State is certainly battle-tested and can make a run if needed.