NCAA Basketball: UConn, Iowa State, Auburn rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
4. Iowa State (27-7)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a team that’s quite like this year’s Cyclones. They’re not supposed to be in this position. There’s no big star power on this team, but T. J. Otzelberger has coached a complete package and has Iowa State excited for what’s to come, and that may be playing basketball for several more weeks.
The Big 12 Tournament began for the Cyclones on Thursday, with a 76-57 win over Kansas State in the quarterfinals. A solid effort saw 18 points from Robert Jones and 16 points and 9 rebounds out of Tre King. Iowa State was great in the semifinals, winning 76-62 over a tough Baylor squad, with a 20-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist game out of Keshon Gilbert. Saturday’s final blew those games out of the water, as the Cyclones built a huge lead in a 69-41 win over #1 Houston for the Big 12 championship. Milan Momcilovic led all scorers with 18 points.
The Cyclones own a pair of wins over Houston, beat Kansas, and racked up all kinds of greatness during the regular season. These Big 12 Tournament champions are a true team effort. We mentioned four different players above and just about anyone can star on any given night for these Cyclones. They are absolutely a tough out in the NCAA Tournament and could make serious noise before all is said and done.