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Iowa State Cyclones Land Favorable Seed in Latest Joe Lunardi Bracketology Predictions

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is expected to be among the best in the nation once again.

That has become the norm since T.J. Otzelberger took over as head coach of the team in 2021. Iowa State went 2-22 in the final season under Steve Prohm, but won 22 games in the first campaign with Otzelberger at the helm.

Success has been found each year since. The Cyclones have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons under Otzelberger and will be looking to make it five straight in 2026.

Based on recent projections from Joe Lunardi of ESPN, the odds are in Iowa State’s favor of extending that streak. According to his most recent NCAA Bracketology, the Cyclones are going to be one of the top teams in the nation.

Iowa State lands No. 3 seed in recent Bracketology

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His current projections have Iowa State as the No. 3 seed in the East Region, which is being held in Washington, D.C. Their first weekend of games would be played at Oklahoma City. A first-round matchup would be against the Arkansas State Red Wolves on the Sun Belt, who are projected to be an automatic qualifier.

That could set up a massive matchup in the Round of 32. The No. 11 seed in that region is their in-state rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes. They are lined up with the No. 6 seed, the North Carolina Tar Heels, currently.

Landing a No. 3 seed would be quite an achievement for Iowa State, given how deep the Big 12 is. The No. 1 overall seed, the Houston Cougars, is the automatic qualifier from the conference. Eight total teams from the Big 12 are projected to be in the field.

BIG 12 SCHEDULE

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— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) September 23, 2025

Along with Houston, a No. 1 seed, the BYU Cougars are projected to finish ahead of the Cyclones on the seed line as a No. 2 seed. The Arizona Wildcats, another Big 12 powerhouse, are projected to be a No. 3 seed.

For these projections to come to fruition, Iowa State is going to need its star point guard and leader, Tamin Lipsey, to be healthy. That currently isn’t the case with him suffering a knee injury that will have a 4-to-6 week recovery timetable.

For as long as he is compromised, Otzelberger will be relying on Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson to carry the load. Veteran sharpshooter Nate Hiese and dynamic freshman Jamarion Batemon will also have prominent roles on both ends of the floor.