What needs to happen for the Iowa State women to host the first 2 rounds of the NCAA Tournament
AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball team’s recent woes, a three-game losing streak in Big 12 Conference play, has pushed the Cyclones down the seeding line and started to damage the possibility of the team hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament this March.
But there’s still a path back and ESPN’s women’s basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme says it begins this week when the 19th-ranked Cyclones host No. 23 Texas on Monday night and play at Baylor on Saturday. The two games could make or break Iowa State’s shots having home court advantage in the first two rounds of the tournament.
“These next two games are going to be vital,” Creme said.
The Cyclones are in the midst of their roughest stretch with their longest losing streak of the season. Losses at Kansas State, at home to Baylor and on the road to West Virginia have dropped Iowa State from being one of the top four seeds in Creme’s projections. Any top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament hosts the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Hosting is a tremendous advance for any team but especially Iowa State which has played some of its best basketball at Hilton Coliseum this season. But the Cyclones, the preseason pick to win the Big 12 Conference, have faltered with a costly injury to star Stephanie Soares who is out with a torn ACL. While Iowa State has been able to survive without Soares, they’ve recently struggled.
The recent issues and the surprising losses to Kansas State and West Virginia have nearly pushed the Cyclones completely out of contention for a regular season title. And they’ve also almost killed Iowa State’s chances to host those first two rounds. Still, Creme sees a scenario where Iowa State catapults itself back into one of the top 16 teams in the tournament.
“If they have any chance getting into the top 16, they have to win at least one of the next two games but probably both,” Creme said.
The Texas game is probably the most important of the two. The Longhorns sit in first place in the Big 12. That victory would give Iowa State another bright spot on its resume. The Cyclones are in need of more of those with their biggest win this season coming at home over Oklahoma. A win at Baylor, which has put together a strong season itself, would also bolster Iowa State’s case with a nice road win.
But none of it assures Iowa State of getting back into a hosting position. The Cyclones still have six games remaining on the season. So, simply beating Texas and Baylor may not be enough. Iowa State can’t afford to have any additional blemishes on its schedule, most notably a loss to struggling Texas Tech or TCU. How the rest of the season shakes out for other teams vying for the last few hosting spots will also play a role. Though, wins over Texas and Baylor does definitely put Iowa State in a much better position.
“It certainly, very seriously (makes them) in the conversation,” Creme said.
While there could be other scenarios that could get Iowa State back into the hosting situation, including a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament, one thing is clear. There’s very little room for error in what’s left in Iowa State’s season if they want to be in Ames for the start of the NCAA Tournament. Creme said the Cyclones, a lock to make the NCAA Tournament, have surprised him this season, even with the loss of Soares.
“This is the same team as last year so they should be as good and they haven’t been,” he said. “They’re certainly good but I guess it’s slightly disappointing that they haven’t been as least as good as last year.”
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What Iowa State women need to do to host NCAA Tournament games
