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NCAA Basketball Roundtable: Gonzaga’s flaws, Iowa State’s rise and beating Purdue

By Tristan Freeman

Dec 3, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers forward Trevion Williams (50) cheers on his team during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Mackey Arena. Boilermakers won 77-70. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2021; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers forward Trevion Williams (50) cheers on his team during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Mackey Arena. Boilermakers won 77-70. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /
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Iowa State Head Coach Tj Otzelberger 2021 Isu 011 Jpg
Iowa State Head Coach Tj Otzelberger 2021 Isu 011 Jpg /

5. Will Iowa State make the 2022 NCAA Tournament?

Mauro

At this point, it would be a huge shocker if they didn’t make the tournament.  Iowa State has been one of the most surprising teams in the country.  I had them just outside the top 100 in the preseason and they are currently playing way better than that ranking and are currently undefeated with some quality wins to boot.  Iowa State looks the part and they should finish in the top half of the Big 12 and easily make the tournament.

Burgess

I am selling Iowa State as a tournament team. The NIT win was good, but how good is Memphis? The win against Xavier is solid, but the rest of the schedule has been meh. They’ve got Iowa this week and the real question for me is how they do against the Texas Techs, Oklahoma States, and West Virginias in league play, that will tip the scales.

Rosenberg

Iowa State is an interesting team to look at and analyze. They’ve had two extremely convincing wins over Xavier and Memphis which has solidified their rising potential. But come conference play, they’ll be up against Baylor, Texas, and Kansas that are also in the top-20 in current NET rankings. Right now, Iowa State is showing true legitimacy and if they can continue their great play, I think they’ll make the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Zacher

What an insane turn of events this season has been for T.J. Otzelberger and his Cyclones.  Iowa State had just two wins last season under Steve Prohm, and now they’re sitting 8-0, nationally ranked, and sporting wins over Xavier, Memphis, and Creighton.  Obviously, those aren’t immaculate, resume-building wins – especially given Memphis’ struggles, in particular – but it bodes well for Iowa State ahead of the Big 12 slate and the upcoming in-state duel against Iowa.

Next. Latest top-25 power rankings. dark

I do think Iowa State can make the 2022 NCAA Tournament, especially given how solid the Big 12 is looking this season.  Every team owns a winning record, the typical “bottom-feeders” in Kansas State and TCU (along with Iowa State) all seem much improved from last season, and – if ISU can scoop up a win over Baylor, Kansas, or Texas – then that will do wonders for the Cyclones’ postseason aspirations.  There’s a reason this team is nationally ranked – they’re legit, and this is no fluke.

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