Iowa State basketball slotted as No. 11 overall in NCAA's first top-16 rankings reveal

AMES - Iowa State's path toward something close to homecourt advantage in the NCAA Tournament has been laid out in front of the Cyclones.

The NCAA Tournament selection committee placed Iowa State No. 11 overall and as a 3-seed in its first reveal of its current top-16 teams ahead of next month's Selection Sunday.

If the Cyclones can secure a top seed, it could allow the Cyclones to play potential first- and second-round games in Omaha. With a drive a little over two hours from Ames and just across the Missouri River from Iowa, that scenario would presumably allow for the Iowa State faithful to pack the CHI Health Center and give the Cyclones a significant boost.

Iowa State, which was in the first half of its game against Texas Tech on Saturday when the seeds were unveiled, is 19-5 overall and 8-3 in the Big 12, largely considered the best men's basketball conference in the country.

The Cyclones' easiest path to a short drive west for the NCAA Tournament includes a strong finish, but will also be contingent on what transpires elsewhere. With Midwestern teams like Kansas (No. 8), Marquette (No.7), Wisconsin (No. 16) and Illinois (No. 15) among the top 16, the Cyclones will have competition for a spot in Omaha, though Indianapolis as another first- and second-round destination would divert some potential rivals (such as No. 1 overall Purdue).

Baylor (No. 10) is another team that could swoop in and steal a potential spot in Omaha from Iowa State. Houston (No. 3) and Alabama (No. 9) likely block the Bears from getting sent to Memphis as things stand, making Omaha the likely landing spot for the Bears in that scenario.

More: By preparing for adversity, Iowa State basketball has largely avoided it

Being in a position for an advantageous NCAA Tournament site in mid-February does not guarantee such a spot, though. Iowa State was in a similar situation in 2019 when Des Moines was a host site, but the Cyclones lost six of their final eight regular season games after the initial seedings reveal. Iowa State was eventually slotted as a No. 6 seed and sent to Tulsa, where they crashed out of the tournament in the first round.

Iowa State, though, looks to be in an excellent position to avoid such a fate with under a month left in the season given its dominance at home and a mostly forgiving road schedule.

If the Cyclones can continue on the trajectory they've forged in the last six weeks, NCAA Tournament games close to home are a very accomplishable possibility.

Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or  (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball ranked No. 11 overall in top-16 reveal