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The Iowa State Cyclones will be returning some talent in the 2013-14 college basketball season, but they will also be losing quite a bit. So, what should the expectations for Iowa State be in the Big 12?
Sorry, but Iowa State is not going to finish above Kansas or Oklahoma State in the conference standings. If it does in fact pull off that feat, you can talk to me then. Until that actually happens, though, do not expect it.
Related: Kansas State Wildcats Should Beat Ole Miss Rebels In the Big 12/SEC Challenge
Better yet, Iowa State should be expecting to finish in the top five in the Big 12.
I would love to say that the Cyclones will beat out Baylor in the conference standings, but once again the Bears will have enough talent to win the conference. Who knows if that will actually happen though.
I am not saying that Iowa State should not expect to beat any of the other three teams mentioned above or anything like that. However, in a full season of conference play, Kansas and Oklahoma State will have less losses.
Sure, the team did finish in fourth place in the standings last season and almost knocked Ohio State out of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, but Iowa State is losing its two leading scorers and other players as well.
It will look different in the upcoming season as a result. Finishing fourth or fifth in the conference is not a bad thing or anything like that. It would mean that the Cyclones would finish ahead of teams such as the Kansas State Wildcats and it would also mean that it would make the Big Dance.
With that in mind, expectations aren’t always met and sometimes teams go above and beyond them.
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