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Iowa State Cyclones Should Have Chip on Their Shoulder With AP Poll Preseason Ranking

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 1:00 PM ET

For only the second time in program history, the Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is beginning a season in the AP Poll preseason rankings for consecutive years.

The first time it occurred was from 2014 through 2016. This will be the fifth consecutive year that the Cyclones will be ranked at any point in the season. That breaks a program record, which was originally set from 2013 through 2017 at four campaigns.

T.J. Otzelberger has done a wonderful job of turning this program into a consistent winner in his four seasons at the helm. That is no small task when taking into consideration the uphill battle Iowa State faces when it comes to NIL spending.

The Cyclones thrive in an underdog role, and it is one that they can assume once again to start the 2025-26 campaign. The AP Poll preseason top 25 has been released, and Iowa State is being disrespected.

Where is Iowa State ranked in the men's basketball AP Poll preseason top 25?

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After starting the 2024-25 season as the No. 5 team in the country, they will be starting off this year at No. 16. They are the fifth-highest-ranked team in the Big 12. The Houston Cougars are No. 3, followed by the BYU Cougars at No. 8, Texas Tech Red Raiders at No. 10 and Arizona Wildcats at No. 13.

As if they needed any more motivation heading into the season, they have now been provided a little extra bulletin board material. The losses of Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert are certainly significant, but Otzelberger is bringing back a lot of talent from last year’s squad.

Continuity is going to be one of the advantages that the Cyclones have coming out of the gate. A formula for success in college basketball is having an experienced lead guard. They possess that in senior point guard Tamin Lipsey.

They are also bringing back dynamic forward tandem Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson. The Big 3 can go toe-to-toe with any in the country, giving Otzelberger a great base to build his rotation around. Veteran wing Nate Hiese is another returning player who knows the system well.

This is a team that is projected to once again be amongst the best defensive units in the country. What will determine how high they rise in the rankings and how big a championship threat they are is their offense.

Opening the Season at 1⃣6⃣. #Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/xhtxLVy5RY
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) October 13, 2025

Their suffocating defense is their identity and the backbone of their success. It will be good enough to win games on a nightly basis. But if Iowa State can consistently put the ball in the basket, they are going to rack up victories at an impressive rate.

Dynamic freshman Jamarion Batemon will have some pressure on him to help replace the shotmaking of Jones and Gilbert, the team’s two leading scorers from last season. A lot of attention will be paid to the center spot, where the entire depth chart has changed.

Dishon Jackson transferred to play with the Pittsburgh Panthers. Brandton Chatfield exhausted his eligibility. Jefferson is expected to play almost exclusively at the 4-spot.

That leaves transfers Blake Buchanon and Eric Mulder and freshman Dominykas Pleta to soak up all the minutes in the middle. It will be a slight adjustment given their physical makeups compared to Jackson and Chatfield, but Otzelberger will make the appropriate changes schematically to get the most out of this group.