The AP preseason spotlight is shining on the Big 12 again, and Iowa State is right in the middle of it.
The Cyclones landed at No. 18 in the preseason poll, putting them fourth among Big 12 teams heading into the 2026-27 season. Arizona, Houston and Kansas checked in ahead of them, while Texas Tech and BYU followed close behind, giving the conference six ranked teams to open the year.
That league depth carried over into the AP Preseason All-America voting as well. Iowa State did not have a current player make the list, but former Cyclone Milan Momcilovic still drew attention.
Momcilovic, who entered the 2026 NBA Draft before also entering the transfer portal, later withdrew from the draft and no longer had a spot or NIL money available with Iowa State. He ended up transferring to Kentucky, where expectations are high for him as a featured scorer in 2026-27.
AP voters clearly see the upside too: he received five votes, falling 12 shy of the All-America team. Arizona center Motiejus Krivas took the fifth and final spot with 17 points.
Seven players finished between Momcilovic and Krivas, including BYU point guard Robert Wright III, Texas Tech big man JT Toppin and Kansas five-star freshman Tyran Stokes. Another Big 12 name, Arizona’s Ivan Kharchenkov, also picked up one vote, giving the league five representatives on a list otherwise stacked with players from the ACC and SEC.
Florida’s Thomas Haugh and Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. were the AP’s preseason All-America headliners, with Fears earning 57 votes from the 58-person media panel and Haugh collecting 56.
For Iowa State, the current roster still has a player who could break into that conversation before long. Point guard Tamin Lipsey, eligible for a fifth year as a member of the Class of 2022, has the kind of two-way game and star quality that can turn heads all season. He’s already one of the most accomplished active point guards in the country, with his defense standing out as one of his defining strengths.
If Lipsey turns in another strong season and delivers his usual production, his name could start showing up on ballots before long.
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T.J. Otzelberger had plenty to like afterward, pointing to Mannings physicality, consistency and willingness to do the little things for the group. For a team that still has preseason questions to answer, that kind of early production from a newcomer matters, especially when it comes from a player expected to help steady the frontcourt once the games count for real. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Has Reached The Big 12 Elite But One Huge Question Remains
Iowa State has earned the right to be talked about with the Big 12s best, and the numbers back it up. With 83 wins over the past three seasons and three Sweet 16 trips in the last six years, T.J. Otzelbergers program has become a model of consistency in a league that rarely allows anyone to stay comfortable for long. That was part of the message at Big 12 Media Days, where Otzelberger leaned into continuity and the idea that the Cyclones still have room to grow, even after establishing themselves as a year-in, year-out contender.
The preseason coaches poll slotted Iowa State fourth in the league, which feels about right for a team that has done plenty to earn respect but still faces one major unknown. Senior guard Tamin Lipseys status remains clouded by ongoing NCAA eligibility litigation, and his potential return hangs over everything the Cyclones want to do this season. For a program that has built so much of its rise on stability and veteran leadership, the outcome of that situation could shape the next step in the chase for another deep March run. [Read more 🡒]
Blake Buchanan Looks Like Iowa States Best Fit At Center Yet
Blake Buchanan is entering his second season at Iowa State with a very specific kind of offseason work on his mind. The 6-foot-10 center has added underwater workouts to help improve his mobility while also cutting down on the physical wear that can come with chasing the pace Iowa State wants to play, a fit that matters in a program built around pressure and defensive efficiency.
That emphasis is exactly why T.J. Otzelberger has kept circling back to Buchanan as a center who fits the Cyclones better than the heavier-footed options they have tried before. After transferring from Virginia, Buchanan appears to offer the mobility and defensive recognition Iowa State needs in the middle, and the next step is seeing how far that combination can carry him in a system that asks a lot from its big men. [Read more 🡒]