Iowa State is the two seed in the Midwest Region and will open the NCAA Tournament Friday in St. Louis against Tennessee State. The Cyclones are 27-7.

That’s ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger. It s the third straight year the Cyclones have been a top three seed in the tournament.

Otzelberger says the dedication of the players has made the Cyclones a consistent national contender.

The Cyclones lost to Arizona at the buzzer in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament and felt at the time it was a game featuring two Final Four quality teams.

Senior guard Tamin Lipsey tweaked a groin in the game against Arizona but Otzelberger expects him to be ready for Friday.

Junior forward Milan Momcilovic feels the Cyclones take a lot of momentum into the tournament.

Senior forward Joshua Jefferson says while the expectations are high the Cyclones are not worried about the pressure.