Iowa State’s backcourt is shaping up as the headline act for the 2026-27 season, and even with a major setback, Killyan Toure is still getting national recognition before the games even begin.
Toure was named to the Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List, a notable nod considering the Iowa State sophomore is expected to miss nearly half the season after suffering a shoulder injury over the summer that required surgery. The injury is expected to keep him out until mid-January, taking a real bite out of the Cyclones’ rotation right from the jump.
The watch list includes 20 shooting guards selected by the Naismith Hall of Fame. This is the 13th year the award has carried Jerry West’s name, and it goes to the top shooting guard in Men’s Division I Basketball.
There’s plenty of competition again this season. Last year’s winner was Keaton Wagler of the Illinois Fighting Illini, a freshman who later went No. 5 to the LA Clippers in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Toure is one of four Big 12 players on the list, alongside Collin Chandler of the BYU Cougars, Caleb Holt of the Arizona Wildcats and Finley Bizjack of the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The injury is an obvious blow, but the selection says plenty about how highly Toure is regarded nationally. His freshman season gave voters a strong reason to notice him: he started all 37 games he played and earned a trusted role from head coach T.J. Otzelberger in the backcourt next to Tamin Lipsey.
Toure’s game kept climbing as the season went on, especially on offense. He finished his freshman year strongly, averaging 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.5 minutes per game over the final four games.
With Lipsey back for a fifth year, at least for now, Iowa State still has the kind of backcourt that can carry real weight. And once Toure returns, the Cyclones will be looking for that sophomore jump to show up fast.
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Iowa State Suddenly Needs More From Jamarion Batemon
Iowa States backcourt has a little more room to breathe now, and Jamarion Batemon is one of the players who stands to benefit most from it. With key three-point shooters gone, the Cyclones need someone who can stretch the floor and handle a bigger share of the offense, and Batemon already showed last season that he can fill that kind of role in spurts. He shot 37 percent from deep and had some eye-catching moments, including a 26-point game against Alcorn State, while also giving the team value on the defensive end with 21 steals.
The challenge for Batemon is turning those flashes into something more consistent as his playing time grows. His season also had its rough patches, including a difficult shooting stretch in the NCAA tournament, so this next step is less about rediscovering his game than proving he can deliver it night after night. Iowa State will still want the same two-way impact from him, only now the Cyclones need a steadier version of it for a longer stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Ashleigh Connor Could Shape Iowa State If One Concern Fades
Ashleigh Connor arrives at Iowa State with the kind of rsum that fits a team looking for stability at point guard. The redshirt senior already has experience running a college offense as a starter at La Salle, where she led the Explorers in points and assists, and the Cyclones are counting on her to bring that same blend of organization and production to both ends of the floor.
The only real question hanging over her early impact is the ankle she sprained while getting ready for the season. Connor is expected to be ready for the opener, which matters because Iowa State is looking for a veteran presence who can settle the group immediately and help set the tone from the backcourt. If she is fully healthy, she could become one of the more important pieces on the roster right away. [Read more 🡒]
Jimmy Rogers Already Has Iowa State Facing A Tough Early Test
The 2026 coaching cycle has already split into two very different tracks, and Jimmy Rogers is in the more uncomfortable one. Across the last six Power Four hires, the early returns have been uneven enough to tell a story of their own, with some newcomers sitting atop unbeaten teams while others are still trying to get traction in conference play. For Iowa State, the question around Rogers is less about rsum and more about how quickly he can steady a program that has not yet found an easy rhythm.
What makes the early stretch tougher is the mix of issues piling up around the Cyclones. The offense has struggled, the quarterback situation is still unsettled, and injuries have only made the job harder as Iowa State looks for its next win. Rogers inherited the kind of early test every first-year coach expects eventually, only this one has arrived fast enough to shape the tone of the whole season. [Read more 🡒]