As the college basketball season gets set to start in a couple of months, the Iowa State Cyclones will be one of the top teams in the country to keep an eye on. Coming off a really strong campaign, the Cyclones are a program that has been heading in the right direction for the last several years. Last season, Iowa State had one of the best rosters in program history with an impressive trio of talented players. Joshua Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic were one of the best trios in the country on the court, and they helped lead them to being a two-seed in March Madness. While an injury to Jefferson resulted in them being eliminated in the Sweet 16, the team was primed to be a Final Four contender if they were able to remain healthy. Now, as the team heads into next season, it will be a very different-looking group. However, there is reason to be optimistic about how the team will perform. Gary Parrish of CBS Sports recently updated their college basketball power rankings. For the Cyclones, they moved up one spot to 12th, with the St. John’s Red Storm dropping because of an injury to Donnie Freeman. Iowa State Poised To Be a ContenderMar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) moves the ball in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe strong ranking for the Cyclones is very encouraging to see and is in line with them being a potential contender next season as well. Due to all of the new players coming in and some key ones departing, Iowa State is a group that is going to have a lot to prove. However, with a coach like T.J. Otzelberger, he is going to get the most out of the talent that the team has. Fortunately, despite losing a lot of players, they did very well and also have some key players returning from last year’s squad. Of the players coming back, the backcourt duo of Killyan Toure and Jamarion Batemon will be key. These two both played significant roles for the team as freshmen and now have a plethora of experience. Toure was a starter all year and one of the best defensive guards in the Big 12. While his offensive game was inconsistent, especially shooting the ball, he did find a bit of a rhythm toward the end of the year. A lot of the success of the team will be reliant on these two young players taking a step forward. Overall, as the 12th-ranked team in the rankings, it is shaping up to be another strong year for the Cyclones. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow