Iowa State Cyclones' NCAA Tournament Opener

0:00On March 16, Iowa State Cyclones learned their path in the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday after a standout season. They're the number two seed in the Midwest region and will face the Tennessee State Tigers in the first round. The game tips off Friday at 2.50pm Eastern Time at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. That match up follows Kentucky against Santa Clara Broncos to open the pod. Iowa State earned this spot with a historic 16 and 0 start, the best in program history, and they climb as high as number two in the AP. Pull. Fans and analysts see big potential here, building on the Cyclones Elite regular season form. The team hopes to ride that momentum into a deep tournament run, with strong defense as their edge. Tennessee State likes to push a fast pace, so controlling tempo will be crucial. Senior guard Tim and Lipsy stands out as the key to slowing things down and dictating play. Expect Iowa State to handle this favorably, given their preparation against turnovers

1:00and speed. The stage is set for an exciting opener, as March Manus heats up.