Iowa State basketball is ranked in the preseason AP Poll for a third straight season, checking in at No. 18 in the 2026-27 preseason poll on Monday afternoon. 

This was a sentence that would've been unfathomable to comprehend after the Cyclones finished 2-22 five years ago, but when you have T.J. Otzelberger as your head coach, anything is possible.

The last time Iowa State was ranked in three straight preseason AP Polls was from the 2014-15 through 2016-17 when the program transitioned from Fred Hoiberg to Steve Prohm. Those teams featured some of the most beloved players in Cyclone basketball history, but is it safe to say the golden age of Iowa State hoops is going on right now? Absolutely. 

Hoiberg certainly elevated the Cyclones from the disappointing tenures of Wayne Morgan and Greg McDermott, but he left for the Chicago Bulls in 2015 before things could really materialize. Prohm did a good job maintaining the culture with Hoiberg's players for a few years, but once he had his own guys, Iowa State became one of the worst teams in the Big 12. 

Jamie Pollard swiftly pushed Prohm out the door after that aforementioned two-win campaign in 2020-21 before landing on Otzelberger, a former Hoiberg assistant with previous head coaching experience at South Dakota State and UNLV. 

Some Cyclone fans weren't happy with the hire, but you know what has happened since then. Iowa State athletic teams are rarely a consistent conversational point in the national media, but there's a reason why Otzelberger's teams are always regarded as a national heavyweight these days. They play outstanding, intense defense that opposing teams love to hate and do enough offensively to keep opposing defenses on their toes. 

Will Otzelberger's 2026-27 squad match the success Cyclone fans have grown accustomed to in this decade? We're not going to know the full answer until January, and though Iowa State experienced some roster turnover, there's enough returning pieces to compete in a loaded Big 12. 

Dom Pleta and Blake Buchanan will hold down the fort inside, while Bradley transfer Jaquan Johnson, Jamarion Bateman, Killyan Toure (when he returns in January) should be enough weapons for fifth-year point guard Tamin Lipsey if he is indeed eligible to play. 

It might take a few weeks for Iowa State to gel, but as long as Otzelberger is on the sidelines, Cyclone fans should have a fun basketball team to cheer for at Hilton Coliseum this year. 

1. Florida

2. Duke 

3. Illinois 

4. UConn 

5. Arizona 

6. Michigan State 

7. Texas 

8. Tennessee 

9. Virginia 

10. Houston 

11. Louisville 

12. Arkansas 

13. St. John's 

14. Miami 

15. Gonzaga

16. Michigan 

17. Kansas

18. Iowa State 

19. Texas Tech 

20. Alabama 

21. USC 

22. UCLA 

23. Kentucky 

24. Vanderbilt 

25. BYU 

Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join.

Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members in the community section! Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected!

Click here to join the fun and potentially win some FREE Cyclone swag!