Iowa State's Record-Setting Season: Quest for Final Four

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00:00We focus on Iowa State, John. Number three still in the nation. At a point this year,

00:05number two in the country. The highest ever ranking in program history in Ames. It is already

00:11a record-setting season. 17-3 for the Cyclones. Only one Final Four appearance in school history.

00:19Only one other Elite Eight appearance way back in 2000. Is this the team this year under T.J.

00:27Otzelberger that can get Iowa State to the promised land on a Final Four trip?

00:33Iowa State is definitely capable of getting to a Final Four. There's no doubt about that.

00:37But when I say repeatedly every game matters, every game truly matters. Because geographics

00:44are going to play a big part in the NCAA tournament. Look at the region that Iowa

00:48State was in a year ago. Iowa State lost a war against Illinois in the Sweet 16 last year.

00:55But had it beat the Illini, it would have had to play UConn in Boston for the right to go to

01:01the Final Four. You look at the geographic makeups of this year's potential brackets.

01:06Auburn is trending towards being the number one seed in the South. That means first and second

01:11round games in Lexington, and then Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in Atlanta. I have a hard time

01:17believing that a team is going to be able to go to Atlanta and beat the Tigers, who are a short

01:23drive away from Atlanta, in a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight game. Let's go to the East region. Duke

01:29continues to rip through the ACC like a chainsaw through butter. I know NC State was very competitive

01:34last night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. But there is nothing stopping Duke right now from being the one

01:39seed in the East region. That means first and second round games in Raleigh, and then the Sweet

01:4516 and the Elite Eight in Newark. Those two teams, Auburn and Duke, are pushing out from the rest

01:50right now.