College basketball is almost here, and Iowa State is heading into Year 6 under T.J. Otzelberger with plenty of buzz around a roster built to win now. The Cyclones have reached three Sweet Sixteens in the last five years, and the big question is whether this group can put it all together when it matters.
One name that keeps coming up is Blake Buchanan. Back for another season in Ames, he’s quickly emerging as one of the most important players on the team.
Buchanan’s path to Iowa State started at Virginia, where he spent two seasons showing steady growth. As a freshman, he appeared in 34 games and started six of them, finishing with averages of 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. By his sophomore year, he had taken a real step forward, starting 22 games and posting 5.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest while also proving he could hold his own defensively.
At Iowa State, he wasn’t brought in to be the star. His job was to fill his role, and he handled it well. Buchanan averaged 8.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season as part of one of the nation’s strongest starting fives and most complete rosters.
Now the expectations are even higher. Otzelberger has been openly high on him, saying, “Buchanan is the best defensive big I've coached, and he's got the ability to be the best big we've had,” per Alec Busse of 247 Sports.
The numbers back up that kind of praise. Buchanan finished last season with averages of 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals per game, strong production for a center and a clear sign of how active he is on defense. But his value goes beyond what shows up in the box score.
He serves as the anchor of the defense, a player who steadies the group and helps hold everything together. With so many quality defenders around him, Buchanan also gives the Cyclones a voice in the middle and a rim-protecting presence that makes the lane a tough place to attack.
That combination of experience, reliability, and defensive impact makes him one of the key pieces on this Iowa State team. The Cyclones have plenty of players capable of taking a step forward, but Buchanan stands out as someone who can do more than just improve. He could become one of the very best players on the roster.
In Other News...
Iowa States Passing Game Just Took Another Brutal Hit
Iowa States passing game took another hit over the weekend when Dominic Overby went down with a knee injury against BYU, and the Cyclones now have to finish the season without one of their most reliable receiving options. Head coach Jimmy Rogers later confirmed on Coaches Corner that Overbys injury is season-ending, a tough development for a unit that has already been thinning out at wide receiver.
Overby had emerged as a leading target for Iowa State, giving the offense a steady option as it tried to keep pace through a difficult stretch. Losing him only deepens the challenge for the Cyclones, who have already been dealing with multiple season-ending injuries at the position and now have to reshape their passing attack again with little margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces A Huge Basketball Decision Beyond This Season
Iowa State heads into the season with real buzz on both sides of the program, especially after landing at No. 6 in the preseason KenPom rankings. The projections suggest a team built to contend right away, with an offense expected to sit 23rd nationally and a defense pegged second, a combination that should keep the Cyclones in the thick of the Big 12 race if those numbers hold.
Bigger-picture questions are already starting to form around the womens program, though, because Bill Fennelly has announced he will retire after the 2026-27 season. That gives Iowa State some time, but not much, to think through a succession plan, and several names are already circulating as possible fits, including Heather Ezell, Billy Fennelly and Caroline McCombs. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Enters A Pivotal Bye Week With Offense In Question
A 3-3 start has Iowa State in the thick of the Big 12 race but also in need of some answers as the calendar turns to a bye week. The Cyclones have stayed close with several top 20 opponents, which keeps the record from telling the full story, but there is still a clear offensive concern after the season-ending injury to receiver Overby. His absence matters because it changes the look of the passing game just as the team is trying to find steadier production.
The break now arrives at a useful time, giving the staff a chance to regroup, evaluate players and tighten up the plan for the stretch run. A bowl game is still within reach if Iowa State can win three of its last six, but the next phase will depend on how quickly the offense can adjust and whether the Cyclones can turn those competitive losses and close calls into something more tangible. [Read more 🡒]