Cyclones rise to No. 11 in AP poll

Iowa State’s meteoric rise up the national scene continued on Monday.

The Cyclones jumped up six spots to No. 11 in the newest AP Top-25, giving the program its highest ranking since Jan. 2016. The jump followed a week that saw Iowa State dispatch arch-rival Iowa, 73-53, on Thursday then beat Jackson State, 47-37, on Sunday, both at Hilton Coliseum.

Iowa State is now 10-0 for the first time since the 2013-14 season when the team started a program-record 14-0 behind stars Melvin Ejim, DeAndre Kane and Georges Niang. The Cyclones have started the season 10-0 only one other time, in 1996-97, and each of the first two teams ended their seasons in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.

Iowa State is one of five Big 12 teams in the poll along with Baylor (No. 1), Kansas (No. 7), Texas (No. 17) and Texas Tech (No. 25). Oklahoma and West Virginia each received votes for the poll.

The Cyclones have the majority of this week off with finals week looming but will be back in action on Sunday when Southeastern Louisiana visits Hilton Coliseum for a noon tip-off.

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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