The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 83 is Iowa State basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of Iowa State basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 1
- Elite Eights: 2
- Sweet 16s: 8
- NCAA wins: 26
- Bids: 25
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 12.7
- Bids per season: 0.21
- AP Polls: 232
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 5
- NBA players drafted & played: 22
- Conference Players of the Year: 5
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 6
- Conference tournament titles: 7
- NIT titles: 0
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on Iowa State basketball
We stay in the Midwest for No. 83 as the Iowa State Cyclones are next up!
Over the years, the Cyclones have been no stranger to March Madness, appearing in the tourney 26 times. They’ve got nearly a .500 record there, which is somewhat good, but also means a lot of their runs have stalled or something historic. The Cyclones have actually been in the Sweet 16 eight times, but have only turned it into one Final Four. So while they usually don’t get knocked out in the first round, they’ve had a tough time historically when it comes to maximizing their March Madness runs.
It has also been interesting to see how much the Cyclones lacked history, but have made up for it over the past few decades. They went to the Final Four in 1944, but didn’t go to March Madness again until 1985. However, they have been one of the most consistent programs in the NCAA Tournament since then, only going more than three seasons without making it on one occasion, between 2006 and 2011.
In terms of special seasons, a few stand out. In 1985-86, senior guard Jeff Hornacek led them to the Sweet 16 and proceeded to become one of the best second round draft picks of all time, playing in over 1,000 games in the Association. In 1999-00, Larry Eustachy coached a Cyclones team led by Marcus Fizer, Jamaal Tinsley, and more, to a 32-5 record and a spot in the Elite 8, their longest run since that Final Four in ’44.
Over the past 15 seasons, the NCAA Tournaments have come at their most consistent rate in program history. Since 2012, they’ve only missed it three times and have gone to the second weekend five times, all of them ending in the Sweet 16. Head coaches Fred Hoiberg and TJ Otzelberger have made them a powerhouse in the Big 12, other than a few bad seasons under Steve Prohm. And over the last three seasons, Iowa State has secured a two or three-seed each time.
Finally, a shout-out to the great players in program history. Other than Hornacek, others include Tyrese Haliburton, Georges Niang, Monte Morris, and Royce White. It is a program with a lot to be proud of and seems to be knocking on the door of having a very long run in March Madness. Unfortunately, the majority of their history didn’t start until the mid 1980s, but ISU continues to be on the rise on the college hoops scene!