With only four games left in the season, the Iowa State men’s basketball team has almost reached the level it needs to grab an appearance in the Great Eight of the NCAA tournament.

After struggling at the beginning of the season offensively, the Cyclones have slowly but surely come around to a close resemblance of last year’s Big Eight champions. With an academically ineligible Kenny Pratt and an unhealthy Dedric Willoughby, the season had the potential to hurt the ‘Clones early on.

Despite a schedule that was not very tedious, the fact that the Cyclones didn’t have all of the starting five in the lineup made less time to prepare for the big games. Games like Kansas, where despite a career performance by Dedric Willoughby, we still lost because our team wasn’t as fluid as the Jayhawks. The fact is, we are playing catch up with the rest of the top 10 in the country as far as preparation for the “Big Tournament”.

Not to worry, however. If there is one thing we have learned over the past 2 1/2 years, it’s that Head Coach Tim Floyd will get his team prepared. The key match-ups that reflect preparation this season are the Texas Tech. and Missouri games.

In Texas Tech. we faced what some have called the best one-two scoring duo in the nation. What did Floyd and the boys do? They took the second man of the two, Tony Battie, completely out of the game with a great defensive strategy.

Event though there was thinking that Missouri would be a blow-off game, Missouri did beat Kansas causing Floyd and the Cyclones were focusing on the game with great intent. In fact, it was in the locker room after the Kansas game, when Pratt told the press the most important game for them was Missouri and he was positive Coach Floyd would have the team prepared.

And prepared they were! It wasn’t so much that Willoughby scored another 29 points, but rather the Cyclones looked like a team the most they have all season. The two leading scores were Willoughby and Pratt, just like last season. Kelvin Cato regulated in the middle with seven blocks, just like last season. Shawn Bankhead was his regular defensive powered self. And as always with Jacy Holloway, when you don’t hear from him is when he is doing the most damage.

Probably the biggest key to the rest of the season is the play of the Cyclone bench. One of the most important things in terms of success in the tournament is a deep bench, and ISU’s is looking deeper with every game.

I don’t know how many times I have heard people say the Cyclones should have never been ranked fourth. To that I have to say we have only seen the team that was ranked fourth once this season.

That was against Missouri. Otherwise, we were suffering from suspensions, injuries or ineligibility, and did not get a chance to see the team that had Final Four potential.

ISU is finally healthy and playing well as a team, and we fans should get our chance to see that fourth- ranked team in action.

Brandon Belisle is a junior from Plainfield, Ill. He is the assistant sports editor of the Daily.