Ever since it was announced that national powerhouses Tennessee and Vanderbilt were in the same region as Iowa State, that’s all people have wanted to talk about.

The problem is the Cyclones don’t play either of those teams first. They play 14 seed Temple (20-10) at 9:06 Saturday night.

How do they dodge pesky reporter’s questions about the top two seeds in the Midwest region and keep focus on the Owls?

“Don’t answer questions from reporters,” said ISU guard Lindsey Wilson breaking into laughter. “You have to stay focused on the game ahead. It’s the NCAA Tournament – it’s do or die – you have to be up for it.”

Wilson, along with seniors Angie Welle and Tracy Gahan, will lead the third-seeded Cyclones (23-8) into battle against the Owls, the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament champs. While they didn’t know much about Temple on Sunday, but Gahan and her teammates have been studying up.

“They’re a very good defensive team, they press for 40 minutes,” Gahan said. “They’re just very quick and athletic.”

Temple will need a good defense to slow the Cyclones, who are averaging more than 77 points a game, 11 more than the Owls. Iowa State also shoots a blistering 48.4 percent from the floor, 10 percent higher than Temple.

The `Big Three’ of Welle, Wilson and Gahan also combine for nearly 55 points, and Welle led the Big 12 in scoring (20.6 ppg) and rebounding (11.0 rpg).

“We’re not the team that can be a big favorite over anybody because we’re not a team that creates a lot of offense with our defense,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “Anybody in any NCAA Tournament game that looks at anybody as a prohibited favorite is a little bit unrealistic. Unless it’s Connecticut or Tennesee, those real wide spread seeds.”

Plus Gahan and Welle, along with fellow seniors Kelly Cizek and Ashley Homeyer, know this is the last chance to make it to the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas.

But Gahan isn’t nervous.

“I don’t think I’m quite as nervous as I was when I was younger,” she said. “I mean, I’ve been through it now three years in a row. More nerves now is just kind of like being anxious and being excited. I don’t think it’s nervous like a scared nervous.”

Gahan and her fellow seniors have seen a lot of success during that time. As freshmen, they helped the Cyclones to a 64-58 upset of No. 1 seed Connecticut and a trip to the Elite Eight. The past two seasons have ended in the Sweet Sixteen, last year to Vanderbilt, 84-65.

That’s a trend that has Welle quite upset.

“Maybe we’re getting greedy, but I’m sick of making it to the Sweet Sixteen – OK, let’s win the next game,” said the second-team All-American. “That’s one thing we haven’t done, winning that big game and making it to the Final Four.”

And with the subregional and regional being played in Hilton Coliseum, the pressure is on.

“I think there’s definitely added pressure, but I think it’s a lot from us,” Wilson said. “That’s been our goal all year [the Final Four] and we really want to do well. But you have to take it one game at a time.”

Plus Wilson and the rest of the underclassmen hope to send the seniors off in winning style.

“This year has been so much fun,” Wilson said. “We want it to end on a high note.”

The Cyclones got plenty of practice playing in big games all year in the Big 12 Conference. Not only are Oklahoma, Baylor, Colorado, Kansas State, Texas and Texas Tech all joining Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament, they are all hosting the first round.

With competition like that in the regular season, the postseason can’t seem too bad.

“Our conference prepared us more this year than other years for the caliber of teams we’re gonna play and the type of competition we’re gonna face,” Welle said.

While there were some bumps in the road in the Big 12, wins at Kansas State and over Oklahoma and Colorado in Hilton Coliseum have given Iowa State a confidence boost heading into this tournament.

“That gives you a lot of confidence,” Wilson said. “We look back at that and are like `That’s how we can play; that’s how we should play.'”

So as their minds may be set on Final Four, rest assured all of the Cyclones eyes are focused on Temple.

“The teams that look past anybody are the teams that get beat,” Fennelly said.