Bracketology Winners: Iowa State, Alabama snag resume-defining victories

Iowa State Cyclones

Hilton. Magic. That’s really all I have to say. Seemingly every year, Iowa State finds a way to defeat one of the top teams in the nation at Hilton Coliseum and it is clear that their home court is one of the best atmospheres in all of college basketball. During the past week, the Cyclones (and their rabid fanbase) once again defended their home court with a monster resume-defining victory over nationally-ranked Kansas. And now only did they take the victory but they did so convincingly, winning by 17 points.

But this week was about more than just taking down the Jayhawks, though. The Cyclones also proved themselves on the road during this past week by knocking off Oklahoma State in Stillwater prior to taking on KU. These two victories moved Iowa State, who is only just now getting healthy, to 11-2 (2-0 Big 12) on the year. Now that everyone is almost back to 100%, this team is starting to realize its potential as not only a top-25 team in the nation but a darkhorse national title contender. Yup, I said it.

Looking ahead, Iowa State should be able to take home victories in their next two contests (Baylor on the road and Kansas State at home) before taking on another ranked opponent. On Jan. 16, the Cyclones will go on the road to take on Texas Tech in a game that every hoops fan should have circled on their calendars. This team is for real.

That concludes this edition of the bracketology winners. Will these teams carry this momentum into the rest of the season or will they start to falter? Only time will tell but these weeks will certainly help each team’s future NCAA Tournament resume and potential seeding.