NCAA Basketball: Arizona, Baylor, and BYU rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
5. Iowa State (23-6)
Iowa State has been impressive this season, standing out in a stacked and competitive Big 12. The Cyclones have already exceeded expectations and have a team that can once again cause major damage during the Big Dance. Their only loss in the last four weeks came on the road at Houston and they kept up their winning ways this past week.
Wednesday brought a 58-45 win over Oklahoma in what was certainly a defensive struggle. Demarion Watson had 15 points and 9 rebounds off the bench while the Cyclones significantly limited the Sooners’ offense. The weekend continued that hot streak as Iowa State did just enough to secure a 60-52 road win at UCF. Among the notable performance was a 16-point, 6-rebound effort from Tre King.
There won’t be any complaints from a Cyclones program that’s now 12-4 in Big 12 play, sitting a few games above some pretty good teams in that league. Iowa State has played masterfully at home all season long and have looked the part of a contender this season. That defense can be lethal and they get just enough from a balanced roster. The regular season finishes with one last home game against BYU before a tricky trip to Kansas State.