Jamarion Batemon is back in a familiar lane for Iowa State: the bench scorer with deep range who now has a chance to grow into more. The Cyclones need that, too, after losing some major production from beyond the arc in the offseason. Batemon, a Milwaukee native, is one of several recruits from Wisconsin to come through during the Otzelberger era.
Last season, Batemon’s game came with plenty of swing. When he was rolling, he could look unguardable from the perimeter.
When the shot wasn’t falling, the rough stretches were just as obvious. That kind of up-and-down profile is part of the deal with a shooter, but it also puts pressure on him to hold his starting spot, especially with other dynamic guards waiting in the wings and Killyan Toure eventually due back from injury.
The biggest thing Batemon gives this team is obvious: shooting. More than two-thirds of his field goal attempts came from three-point range, and he connected at a 37% clip.
He had some real pop moments, including a season-high 26 points against Alcorn State when he went 7-10 from deep. He also delivered in one of the biggest moments of the year, drilling a huge three right before the Heise shot against Houston to give Iowa State a one-point lead with 2:10 left.
The NCAA tournament was a different story. Batemon went just 3-15 from deep there, well below the standard the Otzelberger staff is looking for. Even so, he added value on the other end with 21 steals, an impressive number when you factor in his minutes and the fact that two of the best on-ball defenders in the country were also grabbing some of those opportunities.
Batemon enters this season with the highest three-point average of any returning player. So the usage picture isn’t hard to see.
He should be deployed much like he was a year ago, only with a larger workload after Milan Momcilovic’s departure. In Iowa State’s two exhibition games, he has gone 4-15 from deep and scored 22 points.
The expectation here is that the shot numbers will normalize once he gets back into a steady game rhythm. Defensively, Batemon won’t be assigned the opposing team’s top scorer - that duty will likely rotate through Jaquan Johnson, Tamin Lipsey and, eventually, Killyan Toure. But he’ll still matter on that end, often handling the next option once the first one is swallowed up by the defense, gets dropped into the “toureture chamber,” gets matched with Lipsey, or runs into Jaquan Johnson.
Another season in Otzelberger’s system, another year in the weight room, and the hope is that Batemon keeps growing into the Cyclones’ next sharp-shooting threat.
In Other News...
Iowa State Gets Encouraging Killyan Toure News Amid A Frustrating Delay
Killyan Toures Iowa State outlook comes with both a setback and a reminder of how highly regarded he is. The Cyclones expect the guard to miss the start of the 2026-27 season after shoulder surgery, with a return projected by mid-January, but his place on the Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List says plenty about the respect he has already earned. The honor puts him among the top shooting guards in Division I and makes him one of four Big 12 players recognized on the list.
For Iowa State, the timing is frustrating because Toure was expected to be a major piece alongside Tamin Lipsey. The delay will test the Cyclones early, especially with one of their more promising perimeter options unavailable, but the preseason recognition underscores the upside waiting once he gets back on the floor. The bigger question now is how Iowa State manages the opening stretch before Toure can rejoin the rotation. [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 🡒]