With the best start in school history, Iowa State has been one of the most underrated teams ranked in the AP Top 25. After beating Boise State in the finals of the Hawaii Airlines Diamond Head Classic, the Cyclones are looking like a real contender in the Big 12.

Iowa State has played a quality schedule so far with home wins over Michigan and Iowa in addition to a road win against BYU. The Cyclones rank fourth in ESPN’s RPI rankings with an 11-0 record.

After starting the season unranked, Fred Hoiberg's team has climbed to 14th in the AP poll in large part because of the play in the frontcourt. Senior Melvin Ejim has seen a steady improvement as he’s averaging 18.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season. The lengthy Canadian has been a slasher from the wing who could finish from mid-range or at the rim. He’s grabbed 30 percent of his rebounds on the offensive glass, resulting in extra possessions for Iowa State. Ejim been solid from three-point range, shooting 37 percent from three, but has been versatile on the offensive end.

Sophomore Georges Niang has been another scoring option averaging 16.0 points per game. The 6-foot-7 center can stretch the floor with his jumper and although his rebounding numbers aren’t great, at 3.7 per game, Niang has really picked up the scoring load lately. In the last five games, he’s averaging 21.2 points per contest while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 45 percent from three. If he continues to play at this level, Iowa State will be tough to beat.

The final piece to the starting frontcourt, Dustin Houge, is the only Cyclone averaging double figures in both the scoring (13.5) and rebounding (10.3) departments. The junior college transfer has provided an immediate impact with his hard-nosed rebounding.

And yet the biggest piece to the puzzle may be in their point guard, DeAndre Kane. The transfer from Marshall had a season-high 23 points against Boise State on 8-of-14 shooting and a 4-of-6 showing from three. His 6-foot-4, 200 pound frame gives him a considerable size advantage over most defenders, but he still has the quickness to attack off the dribble. If Kane shoots from deep as well as he did against Boise State, defenders will face a dilemma when defending the pick-and-roll.

Kane has been a do-it-all point guard averaging 14.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. If there’s a player who can slow down Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart, Kane may be the ideal matchup.

The biggest question mark might be in the depth of the Cyclones, but the starting frontcourt and point guard play has Iowa State off to an undefeated start. With four ranked Big 12 teams in the AP Top 25 along with an emerging Oklahoma squad, it will be an exciting conference to follow this season. The play of Oklahoma State, Baylor, and Iowa State will give Kansas trouble in winning its tenth consecutive regular season title.