NCAA Basketball: Tennessee, Baylor, Illinois rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
7. Iowa State (18-5)
It’s another season where you can certainly say that Iowa State is exceeding our preseason expectations, sitting here atop the Big 12 standings in mid-February. The Cyclones have played like one of the nation’s best teams across the last month, picking up numerous impressive conference wins, including two more this past week.
On Tuesday night, the Cyclones traveled to Cincinnati and left town with a 68-59 win over the Bearcats. Iowa State secured their third road win in league play, getting 15 points apiece from Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones. They were back at home over the weekend, coasting to an 82-74 victory against Texas Tech. Keshon Gilbert led the way with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists as the Cyclones won their fourth game in a row.
No challenge seems too tough for an Iowa State team whose only loss in the last month was a two-point defeat at Baylor. Both offense and defense have been outstanding in this recent stretch and this team truly looks like a contender at the national level. They don’t have any household names, but they play incredible basketball. They’ll get a significant test at Houston next Monday, with the Big 12 lead at stake.