Iowa State Dominates Tennessee State in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 20, Iowa State kicks off the 2026 NCAA tournament as the number two seed in the Midwest region, facing the number 15 seed. Tennessee State Tigers from the Ohio Valley Conference. The cyclones enter with big expectations after a strong Big 12 showing, while the Tigers ride momentum under head coach Nolan Smith, the former Duke star. Tennessee State lacks size inside, with no players over six feet 10 inches tall, giving Iowa State a clear edge on the boards. All American forward. Joshua Jefferson heads into the match up on a hot streak, fresh off dominating the conference tournament, and he's poised to exploit that mismatch. Expectations were in high for Iowa State's front cord duo Blake Buchanan and Dominica's pleta to control the paint, grabbing key rebounds and scoring. Officially, meanwhile, the Tigers tall guards Aaron and Krumah and Travis Harper, who average nearly 35 points combined per game, will test Iowa State's back cord defenders.

1:02The cyclones as defenders like Kylian Ture and Tame and Lipsi should hold firm enough, but those guards will still light it up for around 40 points. Together, Iowa State pulls away late for an 83-65 win, advancing comfortably to the round of 32 and keeping their deep run alive.