As Iowa State gets closer to the start of the season, the questions around the Cyclones are turning from simple anticipation to something a little more specific: who’s ready to pop? With a secret scrimmage against Creighton on the schedule this week and a matchup with Northwestern set for November 2nd, Jamarion Batemon is becoming one of the names worth circling.
Batemon arrived last season with plenty of buzz as a highly rated high school prospect, and he didn’t waste much time showing he could fit into T.J. Otzelberger’s system.
He opened with 11 points against Grambling and followed that with six points and three rebounds against Mississippi State. Then came the game that really flashed his ceiling: 26 points and seven 3-pointers against Alcorn State.
That wasn’t a one-night spike, either. Batemon finished the year averaging 6.6 points per game while shooting 37% from 3-point range, and he gave Iowa State real value on the defensive end too. He regularly drew difficult assignments, defended with edge, and chipped in 0.6 steals per game by jumping passing lanes.
The setup for Year 2 looks even better. Last season, Batemon’s role was limited at times because he was coming off the bench behind Killyan Toure, Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic. This year, Toure being out for an extended period opens the door for Batemon to potentially crack the starting lineup and take on a much larger role.
That could mean more than just extra minutes. Batemon should handle the ball more this season and get more chances to score, giving him a shot to grow beyond the 3-and-D job he handled off the bench a year ago.
Lipsey’s return adds another wrinkle. For now, he does cut into Batemon’s runway a bit, but it also gives Iowa State another familiar piece to work with. The two meshed well last season, and that kind of comfort can make things smoother for both players.
There are several Cyclones who could make a leap, but Batemon stands out as one of the best bets to turn last year’s strong foundation into a bigger role and a much bigger season.
In Other News...
Iowa State Is Getting Big 12 Respect With One Bigger Question
Iowa State is heading into the sixth season of the T.J. Otzelberger era with the kind of preseason attention that has become increasingly familiar in Ames. The Cyclones were picked fourth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, trailing Arizona, Houston and Kansas, a nod to the programs standing in a league that rarely hands out respect easily. With Tamin Lipsey, Blake Buchanan, Jamarion Batemon and Dominykas Pleta back in the fold, there is enough returning production to keep expectations pointed squarely at a run at the conference race and a deeper NCAA tournament push.
The bigger question is how quickly all the pieces come together around that core. Iowa State will need its incoming freshmen and transfers to settle in while managing the absence of Killyan Toure because of injury, and in the Big 12 there is little margin for a slow start. The Cyclones have the rsum now to be mentioned with the leagues best, but the difference between a good season and a real contender often comes down to whether the new additions can raise the ceiling without disrupting the identity Otzelberger has built. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces One Huge Question In Bill Fennellys Farewell Season
Bill Fennellys farewell season brings a familiar kind of uncertainty to Iowa State womens basketball, only this time the stakes feel a little different. The Cyclones are again leaning on a roster mix that includes 10 newcomers, a reminder of how much change comes with a college program trying to reload while also preparing for a final run with the coach who has led it for more than three decades.
Arianna Jackson stands out among the returnees and is expected to play a key role, while the rest of the roster adds a global flavor that gives Iowa State some intriguing possibilities. Fennelly has said he plans to use all 13 players this season, which should keep the rotation open and the competition for minutes lively as the Cyclones try to settle into a workable identity before the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Just Got A Big 12 Reminder Before The Season Starts
The Big 12s preseason coaches poll for the 2026-27 mens basketball season offered an early reminder of how tight the race figures to be at the top. Arizona led the way with 12 first-place votes, while Houston landed second with four first-place votes, and Kansas, Iowa State and Texas Tech completed the top five in a conference that looks loaded again before a game has been played.
For Iowa State, the placement fits the broader picture of a league where the margin between contenders appears razor thin. The narrow point gap among the top teams suggests another year in which every trip through the Big 12 will matter, and even a program like Baylor sitting at 10th shows how deep the conference is expected to be from top to bottom. [Read more 🡒]