DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State heads to the Big 12 tournament filled with hope rather than dread for the first time in years.

The 25th-ranked Cyclones haven’t won a conference tournament game since 2005. But Iowa State has accomplished a lot of things recently that it hasn’t in years, including the program’s first Top 25 ranking since November 2005.

The Cyclones (22-9, 12-6 Big 12) head to Kansas City as the third seed and with much larger goals than simply snapping their six-game losing skid in the league tournament.

Iowa State opens Thursday night against Texas (19-12, 9-9), which it split with during the regular season.

Coach Fred Hoiberg says he likes the way the Cyclones are playing right now, adding that they’ve got a lot of confidence.