The Iowa State men remain No. 3 in the latest AP Poll Top 25, which was released on Monday.

Following a win over Morgan State, the Cyclones (10-1) check in behind SEC powers Tennessee and Auburn, keeping the Top 3 the same for another week.

Duke and Alabama are right behind Iowa State, as Kentucky dropped six spots to No. 10 this week. Florida, Kansas, Marquette and Oregon complete the Top 10.

Along with Iowa State and Kansas, the Big 12 Conference is represented by Houston, Cincinnati and newcomer Baylor. The Cougars are ranked 15th, the Bearcats are No. 17 and the Bears are 25th.

Other newcomers include Mississippi State, Arkansas and Illinois, as Memphis, Dayton, Michigan and Clemson all dropped out. 

The Cyclones close out 2024 when they travel to Boulder to take on Colorado. That game is set for Monday, Dec. 30 and will be the conference opener. 

Here is the men’s college basketball AP Poll Top 25 for Week 8:

(Dec. 23)

1. Tennessee (41)

2. Auburn (21)

3. Iowa State

4. Duke

5. Alabama

6. Florida

7. Kansas

8. Marquette

9. Oregon

10. Kentucky

11. Connecticut

12. Oklahoma

13. Texas A&M

14. Gonzaga

15. Houston

16. Mississippi

17. Cincinnati

18. Michigan State

19. Mississippi State

20. San Diego State

21. Purdue

22. UCLA

23. Arkansas

24. Illinois

25. Baylor

Others receiving votes: Maryland 119; Dayton 108; Drake 91; St. John’s 90; Memphis 65; Michigan 50; Georgia 45; Pittsburgh 27 West Virginia 26; Missouri 25; Ohio State 23; North Carolina 20; Clemson 18; Arizona State 13; Utah State 9; Wisconsin 9; Texas Tech 8; Indiana 8; St. Bonaventure 4; Penn State 3.

Dropped from rankings: Memphis 21; Dayton 22; Michigan 24; Clemson 25.

On Sunday evening, we learned that Iowa officially missed out on Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula, a big target out of the transfer portal. After visits to Iowa, Missouri, UCF and Ole Miss, the former Nittany Lion elected to take his talents to Mizzou.

So what’s next for the Hawkeyes? What other available targets are worth looking into? Is their best option not in the portal (yet)?

Let’s take a look at what Iowa could do next at the QB position, with its top target off the board.

(FOX 9) – The holidays are much brighter for a Twin Cities couple who were recently reunited with their mini goldendoodle. Their dog ran away more than two years ago.

Corduroy the dog goes missing

The backstory: Some of you may remember when Corduroy went missing two years ago. His owners searched everywhere but no dog.  Their search ended last month when Corduroy was found in Iowa.

“I went up to him, bent down, and had him smell me, and I said, Do you remember me?,” said Chris Hoefer, Corduroy’s dad.

October 22, 2022 is a day the couple will never forget.

“A friend of ours was dog sitting room. Our friend was taking him on a walk, and he was actually attacked by another dog. He broke loose of his collar and ran away,” said Hoefer.

Finding a missing dog

What We Know: It’s a moment Chris Hoefer and his husband have been waiting for since Corduroy went missing. They’re now embracing the love and joy of having him again.

“He’s so comfortable with us, and he’s still just such a sweet and gentle dog that you know, the same dog that he was two years ago,” said Christiaan Montgomery, Corduroy’s dad.

What followed was nearly 500 tips and two years of searching led nowhere.  That is, until this one voicemail:

We had a stray dog come in and we scanned for microchips, and checking that chip, it came registered to you.

It was on November 10 by the Dubuque Iowa Humane Society.

“I was in disbelief. And I couldn’t believe that it was in Dubuque, Iowa, which is almost 300 miles away from here,” said Montgomery.

The couple took the drive, and Corduroy was able to come home for the holidays because of his microchip.

“I’ve been keeping his chip active since he went missing, just in the hopes that one day he might show up at a location where they had a scanner,” said Montgomery.

What’s next: Lindsay Koopmann with The Retrievers Volunteer Last Dog Team says if you find a stray dog, get it scanned. So, dogs like Corduroy can enjoy Christmas with their parents. 

“There’s no way he ever would have made his way home here and be reunited without being microchipped,” said Koopmann.