Expectations are very high for Iowa State this season as they return a very talented roster for new head coach Steve Prohm. Many college basketball pundits have put the Cyclones firmly in the top 10 for preseason top 25 rankings for the 2015-16 season and now we have an idea of who Iowa State will face this season.
The school released its non-conference schedule on Tuesday and it features some tough matchups against in-state opponents and former Big 12 foes. Iowa State opens the season on Nov. 13 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota against former rival Colorado. From there, the Cyclones will also take part in the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Florida, where they’ll face Virginia Tech in the opener on Nov. 27 before facing Illinois or UAB the following day.
A home game against in-state rival Iowa is another schedule highlight on Dec. 11 and Iowa State also has to face Northern Iowa in the Hy-Vee Big Four Classic in Des Moines on Dec. 19. The road tests begin as Iowa State travels to Cincinnati on Dec. 22 before getting into the Big 12 conference portion of the schedule. A road game at Texas A&M as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge closes out the non-conference games for the Cyclones on Jan. 30.
Between the in-state games and the neutral and road games, Iowa State has given themselves some solid tests for the 2015-16 season and it should help them prepare for the Big 12.