After a week between Iowa State’s final game and the NCAA Tournament selection show, nerves and anxiety were rampant.

“I never took my mind off it as much as I tried,” coach Bill Fennelly said. “Besides Christmas this is the biggest day of the year for me.”

Fortunately for the Cyclones, they didn’t have to wait very long Monday night to find out if they had been invited to the big dance.

The selection show on ESPN started at 6 p.m. By 6:05 p.m., Iowa State saw its name on the bracket.

“I remember one year we were in one of the last ones [to be selected],” Jadda Buckley said. “So having it right away, it was such a relief and we were really excited.”

Iowa State, which finished in fifth place in the Big 12 and ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak, earned a No. 9 seed in the Bridgeport region of the NCAA Tournament.

“It never gets old,” Fennelly said. “That’s the number one thing. I’m really, really proud of our players, from where they were a short time ago to being a part of something so special is amazing.”

Iowa State’s first game — and second, if it wins the opening game — will be played in Storrs, Connecticut.

Syracuse, Iowa State’s first round opponent, is no slouch.

One year removed from losing in the national championship game, Syracuse grabbed the Bridgeport region’s 8-seed Monday night. The Orange finished the season in sixth place in the ACC and ranked No. 21 in the AP poll.

The first round matchup with Syracuse is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

If Iowa State beats Syracuse on Saturday, the following matchup will be a very difficult task. No. 1 overall seed Connecticut will likely be waiting. The Huskies have won 107 consecutive games and four straight national championships.

That means if Iowa State is to make the Sweet Sixteen, it will likely have to beat the 2016 national runner-up followed by the 2016 national champion.

Senior Seanna Johnson said Iowa State isn’t looking ahead to UConn just yet.

“They’re a really really good team,” Seanna Johnson said, “but I know we still have to focus on Syracuse first because they’re a good team. We gotta go out there and work hard and we’ll see what happens.”

While a second round matchup with UConn is about the last thing Iowa State wanted, Fennelly made sure to point out that it’s better than the alternative.

“It’s great to be tired and working this time of year,” Fennelly said. “I’d rather do this than recruiting. We’re ready to go back to work.”