Iowa State is in a familiar position.

After starting the Big 12 schedule with five consecutive losses, the ISU men’s basketball team was on its way to the bottom of the conference.

But then things began to change.

The Cyclones went from the a bottom-dweller to the hottest team in the country in just a matter of weeks.

Iowa State broke out of its skid in a huge way, beating No. 13 Oklahoma in a huge upset for its first conference win. The Cyclones followed that game with six more wins, moving up in the Big 12 and starting to fight for one of four first-round byes in the Big 12 tournament.

Then the wheels started to come back off.

The Cyclones’ win streak ended rudely when Texas A&M trounced Iowa State 75-59 in College Station. The Cyclones followed that game with a home loss to Nebraska and backed their way out of most NCAA tournament bubble talk.

With the regular season drawing to a close, the Cyclones are painting themselves into a corner.

“We’ve been in this position before,” center Jared Homan said after the 76-69 loss to the Cornhuskers. “We have to go back and regroup. It’s us against the world again.”

Through the ups and downs, three players have emerged as the heartbeat of the Cyclone team.

“You’ve seen that team break out, and you’ve seen [Curtis] Stinson, [Will] Blalock and Homan not only continue to play at a real high level, but to take the other guys to a higher level,” Missouri coach Quin Snyder said during Monday’s Big 12 coaches’ teleconference. “They’ve become one of the better teams in our league.”

Stinson leads the team with a 17.3-points per game average, through Saturday, followed by Homan and Blalock at 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Homan leads the team in rebounds and blocks, Stinson in steals and Blalock in assists.

Those three players have helped lead Iowa State’s rebirth.

“We’re a better team,” ISU coach Wayne Morgan said. “We have a better idea of each other. If we get in a position where we have a chance to win a game, we have a better idea of how to do that.”

Iowa State’s defense is one of the reasons for its midseason turnaround. The Cyclones have employed a 2-3 zone and an effective trap to keep opposing teams at bay.

Morgan’s zone philosophy comes from his days as an assistant coach under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. Boeheim’s zone and its effectiveness have sprouted a whole new generation of disciples.

“I’ve used it ever since I left Syracuse,” Morgan said. “Texas plays a lot of 2-3 zone … and Kelvin Sampson is using a 2-3 zone, and they’re using a zone at Kansas State. Every team is using a 2-3 zone.”

With the season closing, Morgan knows his team’s postseason chances are hanging by a thread.

“I can only go a day at a time,” Morgan said. “I’m a day-to-day guy.”