The second round of the NCAA Tournament doesn’t care how you got there. A win is a win.
Iowa State got a first round win. It destroyed Tennessee State from jump with a big first half, but in the process, saw guard Joshua Jefferson go down with a sprained ankle – his status is still uncertain as of this moment.
Other than that, there weren’t any problems. The Cyclones provided dinner theater for everyone. And then there was Kentucky’s win over Santa Clara.
The Wildcats almost blew it late, the Broncos came up with a brilliant three to take the lead, and UK star Otega Oweh took things up a few notches with his deep bomb of a three to force overtime. Santa Clara never recovered, and Kentucky is here in the second round.
Just like Iowa State.
Iowa State vs Kentucky Game Preview: Which Team Can Control The Tempo?
Iowa State vs Kentucky How To Watch
Date: Sunday, March 22
Venue: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
Time: 2:45 pm ET
TV: CBS
Streaming: March Madness Live App, Paramount+, HBO Max
Teams: (2) Iowa State 28-7, (7) Kentucky 22-13
CFN Spring Football Rankings
Kentucky 52 | Iowa State 68
First Round
Iowa State 108, Tennessee State 74
Kentucky 89, Santa Clara 84
– CFN NCAA Tournament Schedule, Previews
Key Stats
– Kentucky only made 15 of 21 free throws in the win over Santa Clara. The Broncos made 12 of 13.
– Iowa State made 46% of its shots against Tennessee State including 11 threes.
Why Kentucky Will Win: Get Running and Rely on the Depth
Iowa State was a thin team to begin with, and the likely loss – or, at least, the diminishing – of Jefferson makes things even harder.
The Cyclones don’t have a problem running, and the starting five can more than get this done, but Kentucky has more firepower on the bench and, overall, is stronger at flying up and down the court.
The Wildcats were able to come up with 18 fastbreak points against Santa Clara, who didn’t exactly try to slow it down, but was definitely more measured.
Why Iowa State Will Win: The Defense Will Rise Up
The Cyclones don’t turn the ball over enough to let teams get on the break, like Kentucky will want to do.
They play a tough, tight defense, take the opportunities that are there, and convert at a crazy clip. Again, the situation with Jefferson matters to a backcourt that generates a ton of steals, but it’s a total team defense situation with the Cyclones.
Kentucky loses when it struggles from the field, going 0-4 when shooting under 36% and is 8-13 when under 48%. Only seven teams were able to get past 47% from the field against Iowa State.
Iowa State vs Kentucky Prediction, Betting Lines
Free throws.
Kentucky is usually terrific on the line, but it couldn’t seem to hit a thing against Santa Clara and almost lost.
Iowa State is awful on the line, but it made 21-of-27 against Tennessee State. The Cyclones usually get away with the free throw problem, but they can’t in this.
They’ll take over the game and keep scoring, but it’ll be much closer than it needs to be because of too many misses on the line.
Prediction: Iowa State 78, Kentucky 73
Consensus Line: Iowa State -4.5, o/u: 146.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3.5
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Related: Purdue vs Miami Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament Second Round
This story was originally published by College Football News on Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.