Iowa State’s offseason has already turned into a puzzle, and the biggest piece may be how T.J. Otzelberger wants to use his frontcourt next season.
The Cyclones are coming off a season that ended with a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, so the standard in Ames is not changing anytime soon. But the roster is, and that means Otzelberger will have to sort through a lot of new combinations before the season tips off.
One of the clearest constants is in the middle. Iowa State will bring back just two starters, Killyan Toure and Blake Buchanan, and both are expected to take on bigger roles.
Toure made an immediate impact as a freshman, becoming one of the best defenders in the Big 12. The next step for him is on the offensive end, where Iowa State is hoping he can grow into more than just a stopper and emerge as the team’s new star.
Buchanan, meanwhile, heads into his senior season with a chance to matter even more. His role could shift a bit after Joshua Jefferson’s departure, but there’s no question he remains an important piece.
Last season, Buchanan and Jefferson formed a strong frontcourt pairing, with Jefferson doing a little bit of everything offensively. He could run the offense, stretch the floor, and act like a Swiss Army knife on that end.
That partnership also created plenty of easy looks for Buchanan. A lot of those came through high-low action, with Jefferson finding him in the post. That connection is gone now, and Iowa State will feel it.
Still, the Cyclones do have another big man to work with in Dominykas Pleta. As a freshman, he served as Buchanan’s primary backup and showed enough to keep himself in the mix. That opens the door to a possible wrinkle: using Buchanan and Pleta together more often.
Neither big man is a floor spacer right now, but Buchanan has shown flashes as a passer. If Iowa State surrounds them with enough shooting, there’s at least a path to playing them side by side in spots. It probably won’t be a heavy dose, but it could give Otzelberger another look to lean on as he pieces together a roster with plenty of moving parts.
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