Finally, the ISU men’s basketball team has made its mark on the top 25 polls.

For the first time since March 9, 1997, the Cyclones are being recognized as one of the nation’s top teams.

As has been the story all year, the Associated Press has put more stock in Iowa State than the coaches poll.

The Cyclones make their debut in the AP poll at No. 20, while the coaches have Iowa State at No. 24.

The highest the Cyclones have ever been ranked is No. 4, which occurred on Jan. 5, 1997.

At the start of the season, ISU received no votes for either poll, and as the wins have piled up, both have grudgingly started to accept that the Cyclones may just be a good team.

In his weekly teleconference, coach Larry Eustachy said that the poll doesn’t have much impact on him.

“I don’t pay too much attention to it. It’s more for the players, I’m sure that it means a lot to them. But it’s awfully premature,” Eustachy said.

The Cyclones will play only one game this week, as they take on Kansas State on Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum.

After that, however, the road gets difficult. They will then go on the road to Missouri, followed by a home game against Nebraska.

After that it’s on to Kansas and Colorado. Eustachy knows the stretch will be a challenge.

“We’re still limited, but we know what our limitations are, and we try to play within them. We’ve got a long road to hoe,” Eustachy said.

The Cyclones currently stand at 18-3 overall and 6-1 in the Big 12, which is good enough for a tie for first place with Texas.

Iowa State already has two conference wins on the road, the most since they came up with four wins in the 1996-97 season. However, there will be no more eminently winnable games away from Hilton Coliseum.

Eustachy says that the polls never came up while talking to the team.

“I never mentioned it to them. All we talk about is getting better daily and weekly and what we have ahead of us,” Eustachy says.

The coach also broached the topic of injured forward Martin Rancik, who said recently it was his goal to get back for the final two games of the regular season.

“He might come back and be able to help out with post defense, but he’s not going to be much of a factor,” Eustachy said. “If we’re going to win, it’s going to be with the guys we have out there now.”