Iowa State Basketball Correctly Predicted To Be in Top 25

The Iowa State Cyclones have had a whirlwind of an offseason in preparation for the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season.

There was a lot of turnover on the roster, with multiple key rotation players from their Sweet 16 team not returning. Joshua Jefferson is in the NBA, Milan Momcilovic transferred to the Kentucky Wildcats, Nate Heise exhausted his eligibility, and Tamin Lipsey was thought to have done the same.

A strong group of transfers was brought in to help replace all of that production with Tre Singleton, Jaquan Johnson, Leon Bond III, Ryan Prather Jr. and Taj Manning. Unfortunately, injuries piled up for the team.

Killyan Toure, an emerging star, suffered a shoulder injury that will keep him sidelined until mid-January at the earliest. Class of 2026 recruit Christian Wiggins suffered an Achilles injury and Yusef Gray Jr. was rehabbing a shoulder injury suffered during his senior year.

Given some of the uncertainties surrounding the team, it made sense that some people thought they could begin the season outside of the top 25. However, that is no longer the case, with James Fletcher III of On3 (subscription required) sharing predictions on how the AP Preseason Top 25 poll will look, and the Cyclones are safely in the mix for one reason: Lipsey.

The veteran point guard is poised to return to Ames for a fifth season under the new 5-in-5 eligibility rules that are being put into place. As a member of the Class of 2022 who didn’t sign any professional contracts, he was cleared as part of a lawsuit in Indiana.

With Lipsey currently eligible, the outlook for Iowa State changes drastically. The void created by Toure’s injury is now filled by his mentor coming back for one last season with the Cyclones.

His presence is why Iowa State comes in at No. 15 in Fletcher’s predictions instead of being on the outside looking in. When Toure returns, they will combine to be one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA, and the single-best perimeter defensive duo in the country.

Add in Johnson, who was the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and it is going to be incredibly difficult for opponents to score against this group from the perimeter.

As long as Lipsey remains eligible, the Cyclones are going to be one of the best teams in the Big 12. The only teams from the conference that are currently projected to be ahead of the Cyclones are the Arizona Wildcats and Houston Cougars.