AMES – After a season full of up-and-downs, the Cyclones will head down to Hilton South in Kansas City, Missouri, with hopes of becoming back-to-back Big 12 Tournament champions as the No. 5 seed. 

“Obviously we had a great trip here. Guys played well,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said about last year’s championship run. “Playing in front of our fans, we know we’re gonna have a great turnout, which makes it a spectacular experience for the young men in our program and our team.”

The Cyclones won last season’s tournament as the No. 2 seed, which meant they got the double-bye and didn’t have to step onto the court until the quarterfinals. 

That will not be the case this season, as the fifth seed only gets a bye through the opening round. That means that if the Cyclones want to win another championship, they’ll have to win four games in four days.

Playing games on consecutive days isn’t common in the regular season, but it is at this time of year. Iowa State has some experience with this type of scheduling this season. 

Back in November, the Cyclones played three games in three days and went 2-1, with the only loss coming against now-No. 2 Auburn, 83-81.

“Coming down it kind of felt like Maui, the amount of time we get to spend with each other, all the work we get to put in ahead of the games,” junior forward Joshua Jefferson said. “Just going back to that feeling, I feel like we were well prepared for that tournament.”

“When you play in a tournament like Maui early in the year and you go, a game, a game, a game, and you play really good competition, that’s the reason why you play in something like that to help prepare you for this,” Otzelberger said. 

But in order to get to that second, third or even fourth game, Iowa State will have to get through its first opponent, which will be Cincinnati, after it beat Oklahoma State in the opening round.

The Cyclones were ready for whoever came their way. 

“Obviously, we’ll get ready to scout this personnel and what this matchup is, but we’re so much more focused on doing the things that we do,” Otzelberger said. “Tremendous respect for all of our opponents. We’ll be aware, we’ll have this and that, things that we think will be effective. But ultimately, our focus is on us playing great and being the best team we can be.”

Iowa State and Cincinnati met for the first time back on Feb. 15 in Hilton Coliseum. It was a back-and-forth game that ended in the Cyclones pulling away late for an 81-70 victory. 

One thing that could make this game and possibly future games more difficult for the Cyclones is the health of senior guard Keshon Gilbert. 

Gilbert missed Iowa State’s last game against Kansas State and three out of the last five games with a groin injury, though through two days of practice, Otzelberger feels confident that he is moving in the right direction.

“We had a great practice Monday and a good one again today. [Gilbert] was back, felt great,” Otzelberger said. “He had a great mindset, mentality, focus, had a great practice. So, excited how that’s gone the last two days and continue to carry forward.”

With or without Gilbert, Iowa State would be a comfortable favorite against the Bearcats, but waiting for it on the other side would be BYU. 

The Cyclones would certainly want Gilbert back for that potential matchup. 

In the first meeting between those teams, Gilbert had 13 points and a career-high eight steals. He was a driving factor in the Cyclones’ 21-point comeback that eventually fell short in double overtime. 

“When [Gilbert’s] playing aggressive on both sides of the ball it brings our whole team to another level,” junior guard Tamin Lipsey said. “When he feels good about the game I feel like we all start having a good feeling.”

If Iowa State were to get revenge over BYU and advance to the semifinal, they would likely have to take on top-seeded Houston in a rematch of last season’s championship game, with another very worthy adversary waiting in the championship game. 

The road to a Big 12 Championship looks daunting when looking at everyone the Cyclones would have to go through on the way, but that’s why they’re taking it one game at a time.

“Everyone’s gonna pool all their experiences, all their opportunities and pour in so we can be our absolute best,” Otzelberger said.