Iowa State’s defense has become the program’s calling card under T.J. Otzelberger, and CBS Sports is expecting that identity to stay front and center in 2026-27.
Isaac Trotter recently broke down several storylines and predictions for the upcoming season, and when he ranked the best projected defenses, the Cyclones came out on top of the 10 teams he highlighted. That group also included Big 12 rivals Arizona and Houston, along with in-state foe Iowa.
That kind of respect tracks with what Otzelberger has built in Ames. Since taking over, he has made defense the standard, and players who can’t deliver on that end have had a hard time earning minutes.
The buy-in has paid off quickly. Iowa State has reached the NCAA tournament every season of his tenure, including his first year after he inherited a team that won only two games in Steve Prohm’s final season.
With that identity in place, the Cyclones have also made it easier to sell recruits on the program. Anyone considering Iowa State, whether from high school or the transfer portal, should expect the same hard-nosed approach next season.
The personnel looks built for it again. Iowa State lost point guard Tamin Lipsey, but Killyan Toure is set to take on the point-of-attack job, and Jaquan Johnson arrives from Bradley after winning Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. Up front, Blake Buchanan is back for a second season, and his athleticism fits the aggressive trapping style Otzelberger likes to use.
The frontcourt depth doesn’t stop there. Freshman Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan gives the Cyclones another rim-protecting option, with Dominykas Pleta and Taj Manning also in the mix.
On the wing, Nate Heise and Joshua Jefferson are gone, but Leon Bond III and Tre Singleton are ready to step in. Xzavion Mitchell could also be part of the rotation after an injury-filled freshman year.
That gives Otzelberger plenty of pieces to work with as he tries to find the right combinations. Ryan Prather Jr. adds another transfer to the mix, and while he isn’t known for his defensive impact, he does bring size to the backcourt.
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The matchup also carries a little historical weight for a series that has been dormant for decades. Iowa State and Tulane last met in the early 1990s, and the 2028 game will be the first Big 12-American meeting since then. Both schools are also entering a new era on the sideline, which gives the series a fresh feel well before either game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Fans Are Finally Being Pushed To Turn The Page
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Carson Willich is one of the reminders that this transition is not just about a new coach, but about the people who have stuck around and kept building through it all. As the Cyclones prepare to open Sept. 5 against Southeast Missouri, the bigger backdrop in college sports keeps changing too, with tournament expansion, transfer portal rules and conference realignment all feeding the sense that programs like Iowa State have to keep adapting while trying to hold onto their own identity. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cyclone Hason Ward Just Made His Next Career Move
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Wards college rsum still gives Iowa State fans a reason to track his career, too, after he transferred in from VCU and was part of a group that helped the Cyclones win the Big 12 tournament and reach the Sweet 16 in 2024. His latest move adds another chapter to a journey that has already included summer-league looks and steady production in the G League, with the next stop now set and the rest of the story still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]