7. Iowa State Cyclones
Results: 96-86 Loss, 86-83 Loss, 92-83 Loss
Opponent Seed in NCAA Tournament: 5
The Iowa State Cyclones were the lone team this season to defeat OK State on three occasions. The final defeat came in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals. No team has quite had the number of the Pokes like the Clones in the last few years.
Senior shooting guard Phil Forte did not see a single victory over the Clones at Hilton Coliseum in his five years with the Cowboys. The Cowboys’ defeat at the hand of the Clones in the Big 12 Tournament spurred ISU to their eventual Big 12 Championship against WVU.
It’s head scratching that the Clones ended up with a lower seed than the Mountaineers even though they defeated WVU in the Big 12 Title game just one day prior to Selection Sunday.
Anyhow, the Clones land a tough matchup against the no. 12 seed Nevada Wolfpack in the Round of 64. They could potentially face OK State for a fourth time if both teams were to make it to the Elite 8 since both teams were slotted in the Midwest Region.