Iowa State the top four seed in initial NCAA Tournament committee rankings

Jan 19, 2019; Ames, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Steve Prohm watches his team play against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

If the NCAA Tournament started today, Iowa State would be the top No. 4 seed in the bracket. The Cyclones are considered the No. 13 team in the country by the NCAA Tournament Committee’s first top-16 rankings released on Saturday.

Iowa State was placed in the East region alongside No. 1 seed Duke, No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Marquette. The regional semifinals and finals of the East Region will be played in Washington D.C.

Kansas was the only other Big 12 team in the top-16 as they were placed as the No. 3 seed in the West Region. Tennessee, Gonzaga and Virginia were the other three No. 1 seeds alongside Duke.

Iowa State being a No. 4 seed maintains the possibility for them to open the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The Cyclones will host TCU on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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