A tough season for Iowa State saw the Cyclones finish near the bottom of the Big 12 in the 2019 to 2020 season. Iowa State will not start above that in the 2020 to 2021 season as it checks in at No. 8 in the Big 12 Preseason Poll.

The Cyclones will start the season with losses at many key positions, but none will be bigger than the loss of Tyrese Haliburton — a likely lottery pick in the NBA Draft.

In the poll, despite being the favorite often, Kansas does not sit at the top, instead placing at No. 2 in the poll behind Baylor.

Baylor and Kansas had successful years prior to this season, but Baylor took a huge step forward and was looking at a possible top two seed in the NCAA Tournament before it was canceled.

West Virginia, Texas and Texas Tech round out the top five, respectively with all three teams showing bright flashes last season, but not enough to compare themselves to the two powerhouses.

Iowa State will start the Big 12 season against the last ranked team in Kansas State on Dec. 15.