I think an 8 team tournament would be exciting.
Potential Teams
99-00 - 32-5 and a 2 seed, elite 8
00-01 - 25-6 and a 2 seed
95-96 - 24-9 and a 5 seed
96-97 - 22-9 and a 6 seed, sweet 16
13-14 - 28-8 and a 3 seed, sweet 16
14-15 - 25-9 and a 3 seed
15-16 - 23-12 and a 4 seed, sweet 16
16-17 - 24-11 and a 5 seed
Here is how I would seed them.
1 seed - 99-00
Clear #1 seed, best team ever at Iowa State
2 seed - 13-14
Niang's best team and if he hadn't gotten hurt, a fantastic shot a final 4. Ejim, Kane, freshman Morris and Thomas. I
3 seed - 15-16
Just a crap ton of raw talent. Niang and Naz as seniors. Morris and Thomas as juniors. Nader and Burton as mismatches. McKay protecting the rim.
4 seed - 96-97
Willoughby, Cato, Pratt, Bankhead's best team
5 seed - 00-01
Tinsley, Horton, Sullivan
6 seed - 95-96
Willoughby, Willoughby, Cato, Pratt, Bankhead's first team
7 seed - 14-15
Niang, Morris, Hogue, McKay, Dejean-Jones, Nader
Would probably be higher, but chemistry wasn't quite right. Morris was still just a sophmore the team lacked a bit of leadership.
8 seed - 16-17
I almost made them the 8 seed. Seniors Morris, Naz, Thomas, Burton is great, but they didn't really have a post presence, so I had to drop them out.
1-8 matchup.
No one is stopping Fizer and the only hope of the 8 seed is Burton as a possible mismatch, but I think Stevie Johnson negates that. The 8 seed going small (Burton at the 5) might keep them in the game.
4-5 matchup
I think the 4 seed wins fairly convincingly. Bankhead was a great defender and maybe he covers Tinsley some. I think I remember Willoughby was also pretty good defensively. I think Cato would give Shirley and Rancik fits inside, as would Pratt.
3-6 matchup
McKay and Cato are a good matchup. This was Cato's first year. He got better offensively the next year. The Pratt/Burton mismatchup is also pretty cool. I'd imagine that Bankhead covers Niang. Willoughby was great, but I think Morris, Naz, Thomas and Nader give the 3 seed a big edge in the backcourt.
2-7 matchup
The senior leadership of Ejim and Kane would be too much for the 7 seed to handle.
1 seed versus 4 seed.
Tinsley - Holloway
Nurse - Willoughby
Horton - Bankhead
Johnson - Pratt
Fizer - Cato
Bench
Rancik, Shirley, Bradon Hawkins versus Freshman Stevie Johnson, Klay Edwards, Tony Rampton, Freshman Paul Shirley
Would there be any substitutions in this game? Seriously, maybe none at all. Cato might be able to slightly contain Fizer. I'd probably put Bankhead on Tinsley, Holloway on Nurse and Willoughby on Horton. Pratt would have to have a huge game. Fizer and company would be too much.
2 seed versus 3 seed
Kane - Morris
Morris - Thomas
Ejim - Nader
Hogue - Niang
Niang - McKay
Bench
Naz, Thomas versus Burton, Hallice Cook
This is a hell of a matchup. I think it'd be a really close game.
1 seed versus 2 seed
Tinsley - Kane
Nurse - Morris
Horton - Ejim
Johnson - Hogue
Fizer - Niang
Intriguing matchup. Fizer's the best player, but Niang (and Burton off the bench) give that defense a tough challenge. With Ejim, Hogue and Kane, that Hoiberg team had more toughness than most.