Lindell Wigginton has only played one game this season because of a foot injury. Cameron Lard and Zoran Talley missed Iowa State's first seven games because of a suspension. And Solomon Young hasn't played a single minute because of a groin injury suffered in the preseason -- all of which means the Cyclones have been without four of the top five returning scorers from last season's team pretty much all season. Two freshmen who weren't necessarily expected to play major roles are averaging 30-plus minutes per game.
And yet ISU is still 7-1.
The Cyclones have beaten San Diego State, Illinois and Missouri and now have a chance to get their first road win of the season Thursday night when they play at Iowa, which is ranked 23rd in Thursday morning's updated Top 25 And 1.
"This is a great challenge," said Iowa State coach Steve Prohm, who further explained to local reporters that he's now using "swagger cups" as a gimmick to create confidence for players who are being asked to contribute in ways nobody anticipated.
So far, it's working.
A win Thursday night will have Iowa State under consideration for Friday morning's Top 25 And 1. The Cyclones' lone loss, to date, is a single-digit loss on a neutral-court to Arizona.
Thursday's Top 25 And 1
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Dedric Lawson finished with 20 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday's win over Wofford. He's now averaging a team-high 19.0 points and a team-high 10.7 rebounds in 32.7 minutes per game. | -- | 9-2 |
| 2 |  | Rui Hachimura sank a game-winning jumper in the final seconds Wednesday to lift the Zags past Washington. The junior forward is averaging 22.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. | -- | 9-3 |
| 3 |  | RJ Barrett finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds in Wednesday's win over Hartford. Zion Williamson added 18 points and 12 rebounds. | -- | 10-2 |
| 4 |  | The Vols' lone loss is a neutral-court loss to Kansas in overtime. Grant Williams is averaging a team-high 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists for the reigning SEC champs. | -- | 12-0 |
| 5 |  | Nevada's win at USC on Saturday provides the Wolf Pack with two double-digit road victories over top-75 KenPom teams. Caleb Martin is averaging a team-high 19.9 points and shooting 38.8 percent from 3-point range. | -- | 8-4 |
| 6 |  | The Cavaliers held Morgan State to just two field goals in the first 18 minutes of the second half of Monday's eventual 38-point win. Kyle Guy and De'Andre Hunter each scored 15 points. | -- | 7-5 |
| 7 |  | The Wolverines missed 15 of their 20 3-point attempts but still won Tuesday at Northwestern. They're 9-0 for the second time in 12 seasons under John Beilein. | -- | 9-3 |
| 8 |  | The Wildcats trailed at the break Saturday before rallying to beat UNC Greensboro. Reid Travis finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds. | -- | 10-2 |
| 9 |  | Austin Wiley scored 14 points off the bench in Tuesday's win over UNC Asheville. Auburn's lone loss is a neutral-court loss to Duke. | -- | 11-1 |
| 10 |  | Nick Ward took 10 shots, made all 10 and finished with 26 points and nine rebounds in Monday's win over Iowa. Kenny Goins added 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. | -- | 10-2 |
| 11 |  | The Tar Heels handled UNC-Wilmington easily on Wednesday despite Coby White missing the game with a sore ankle. Nassir Little finished with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench. | -- | 7-5 |
| 12 |  | The Red Raiders are 8-0 for the first time since the 2009-2010 season. Jarrett Culver is averaging a team-high 18.3 points, a team-high 5.5 rebounds and a team-high 4.5 assists. | -- | 9-2 |
| 13 |  | PJ Savoy finished with a game-high 16 points in Monday's win over Troy. The Seminoles' resume features three wins over top-50 KenPom teams. | -- | 9-4 |
| 14 |  | The Hokies have won two straight games since losing at Penn State. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging a team-high 17.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists. | -- | 5-7 |
| 15 |  | The Wildcats missed 16 of 22 3-point attempts in Saturday's loss at Marquette. Their next three games are against sub-100 KenPom teams. | -- | 6-5 |
| 16 |  | Bruno Fernando finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's win over Penn State. Maryland's lone loss is a single-digit loss to Virginia. | -- | 10-2 |
| 17 |  | Ethan Happ scored a game-high 20 points in Monday's win over Rutgers. Wisconsin's lone loss is a neutral-court loss by single-digits to Virginia. | -- | 10-3 |
| 18 |  | Keyshawn Woods got 18 points off the bench in Wednesday's win over Illinois in Chicago. The Buckeyes are 2-0 in the Big Ten for the second consecutive season. | -- | 8-4 |
| 19 |  | The Boilermakers' three losses have all come to teams ranked ahead of them in the Top 25 And 1 - specifically Michigan, Florida State and Virginia Tech. Carsen Edwards is averaging 24.4 points. | -- | 8-4 |
| 20 |  | The Bluejays led Gonzaga through 29 minutes Saturday before ultimately losing by double-digits. Creighton made 14 3-pointers in the loss. | -- | 8-5 |
| 21 |  | The Sun Devils have won 20 consecutive non-league games. They'll play Nevada on Friday at Staples Center in Los Angeles. | 1 | 9-2 |
| 22 |  | Lamar Peters finished with 27 points and five assists in Tuesday's win over McNeese. Next up is Saturday's game with Clemson. | 1 | 11-1 |
| 23 |  | Iowa missed 16 of its 22 3-point attempts in Monday's loss at Michigan State. The Hawkeyes' two losses are both to teams ranked ahead of them in the Top 25 And 1. | 1 | 9-3 |
| 24 |  | The Bulls are off to their best start since the 1930-31 season. Five of their next six games are on the road - and two of them are at Syracuse and at Marquette. | 2 | 5-6 |
| 25 |  | The Cougars have won 21 consecutive home games dating to last season. Corey Davis Jr. is averaging a team-high 16.9 points and 4.6 assists. | NR | 8-3 |
| 26 |  | The Sooners' lone loss is a neutral-court loss to Wisconsin. Oklahoma owns wins over Florida, Notre Dame and Dayton. | NR | 12-0 |
