Iowa State reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three seasons, and the Cyclones eye the Big 12 tournament as the time to create some momentum. The No. 12 Cyclones, who are seeded fifth in the conference tournament after struggling late in the regular season, begin their pursuit of a strong March run when they face 13th-seeded Cincinnati in the second round at Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday. Iowa State (23-8) dropped three of four games before closing the regular season with a 73-57 road victory over Kansas State on Saturday. The Cyclones know that the path to the Big 12 title game isn't easy, as top-seeded Houston is on the same side of the draw.
No. 12 Iowa State begins NCAA prep against Cincinnati
