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When Was the Last Time Iowa State Won the NCAA Tournament (Odds to Win March Madness)

Taking a look at Iowa State’s NCAA Tournament history and the Cyclones’ odds to win it all this season. 

By Shelby Dermer

Iowa State Cyclones head coach T. J. Otzelberger reacts in a second-round NCAA Tournament game against Washington State.
Iowa State Cyclones head coach T. J. Otzelberger reacts in a second-round NCAA Tournament game against Washington State. / Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA
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Iowa State is a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over two decades. The Cyclones were one of the best teams in the nation all season in arguably the country’s toughest conference and proved it by dominating Houston (a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament) in the Big 12 title game. 

Iowa State cruised in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, crushing upset-minded No. 15 South Dakota State (82-65) and No. 7 Washington State (67-56) to reach the Sweet 16. 

Iowa State is a popular pick on brackets this season, but have the Cyclones ever run the table in the NCAA Tournament? Here’s a deep dive into Iowa State’s March Madness history. 

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When Was the Last Time Iowa State Won the NCAA Tournament? 

This season, Iowa State has a puncher’s chance at the program’s first-ever national title. The Cyclones have never been to the national championship game and have been to the Final Four once. 

That Final Four trip wasn’t in the modern era, though. During World War II, the 1944 Cyclones needed just one win - a 44-39 victory over Pepperdine - to reach the Final Four of an eight-team bracket. They would lose to eventual champion Utah in the next round. 

Iowa State’s most successful season in recent memory was in 2000. Larry Eustachy’s Cyclones were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and rolled over No. 15 Central Connecticut State (88-78), No. 7 Auburn (79-60) and No. 6 UCLA (80-56) before coming up short to No. 1 Michigan State, the eventual national champions, in the Elite Eight. 

Iowa State a Short Favorite in Sweet 16 

Iowa State is one of the juggernauts in the bracket that makes the East Region such a gauntlet. The Cyclones are one of four conference tournament champions in the region. No. 4 Auburn was knocked out in the first round, but three remain. Iowa State is up against another one in No. 3 Illinois on Thursday at TD Garden in Boston. 

If Iowa State were to advance, No. 1 UConn, the odds-on favorite to repeat as national champions, would likely be waiting for them in the regional final. 

UConn has been so dominant that the Huskies are overwhelming favorites (-230) to win the East Region, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Iowa State is the second favorite at +420 ($100 bet wins $420), which gives the Cyclones an implied probability of 19.23% to reach the Final Four for the first time in 80 years. 

To win it all, Iowa State is eighth on the odds boards at +2000 ($100 bet wins $2,000), the lowest odds of any team that is a top-2 seed in the tournament. 

Before they can worry about running the table, Iowa State needs to take care of business against No. 3 Illinois to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2000. Iowa State is a short favorite in what is one of the many marquee games on tap in the Sweet 16. 

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Game odds update periodically and are subject to change. 

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