Iowa State men’s basketball: Cyclones ranked 14th in preseason by Sporting News, Athlon
By Brian Spaen
The Iowa State men’s basketball team is ranked in the top 15 in the Sporting News and Athlon Sports college basketball preseason rankings.
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Chris Williams reported late on Tuesday that sports outlets, The Sporting News and Athlon Sports, will rank the Cyclones 14th in their preseason poll. Athlon will also project Iowa State as a 4-seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Sporting News ranks Iowa State No. 14 in its preseason hoops poll. I’m told that the #Cyclones will also be No. 14 in Athlon’s mag too.
— Chris Williams (@ChrisMWilliams) September 10, 2014
Also regarding Athlon - publication will project Iowa State as a 4-seed in the Big Dance. #Cyclones
— Chris Williams (@ChrisMWilliams) September 10, 2014
In comparison, Iowa State moved up one spot from an earlier poll that SN released back in May. On that list, Kansas and Texas were two Big 12 teams that were ranked higher. Those two teams are higher in the other preseason polls as well. Bleacher Report has Iowa State ranked 13th and Gary Parrish on CBS Sports ranked them 15th in their August preseason polls — the Jayhawks and Longhorns are both higher. B/R even had Oklahoma 15th, slotting four Big 12 teams in the top 15.
Last season, the Cyclones finished ninth in the final AP and Coaches poll. One spot higher than Kansas and Texas was unranked.
This will all pretty much be the norm for Iowa State college basketball rankings before the season begins. Kansas and Texas, the normal frontrunners in the Big 12, look to be absolutely loaded again this year. Some publications are worried that Iowa State will have to reload too much to have the magic they had in 2013-14, but people who follow the Cyclones know that we’re a little more comfortable with the situation.
Of course, this is all picking hairs. Having a top 15 ranking in the preseason polls places the Cyclones in position to have a very high seed in the NCAA tournament. It also shows that with multiple Big 12 teams around them at the top, it’s going to be a very strong, tough season in the conference.