3 Iowa State Basketball Players To Watch Against Arizona

The Iowa State Cyclones and Arizona Wildcats are facing off in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. These three players are worth keeping an eye on.

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon (1) brings the ball up court during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have been absolutely rolling through the Big 12 tournament.

They have produced back-to-back dominant wins over the Arizona State Sun Devils and Texas Tech Red Raiders. However, they now face one of the nation’s best with a Big 12 Championship Game appearance on the line.

Iowa State will be taking on the Arizona Wildcats in the Big 12 tournament semifinals. The Cyclones can likely clinch a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament with a victory, but a loss may not only end their chances at a conference title but also relegate them to a No. 3 seed.

Here are three Iowa State basketball players to watch ahead of their meeting with Arizona.

Joshua Jefferson

Mar 7, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) reacts during the second half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In the first meeting between the two teams, Joshua Jefferson had probably the worst game of his career.

The senior went just 2-of-17 from the field, and while he did help the Cyclones to an extent, his poor shooting night really hurt Iowa State. Throughout the season, a lot of Iowa State’s success has been dependent on how effective he is, and without Jefferson being their crutch, it’s tough to win.

It’s clear that Jefferson wants revenge and will look to get it in the second meeting.

Jamarion Batemon

Mar 7, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon (1) goes to the basket against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Jamarion Batemon has been hot as of late, stepping up in his young three-and-D player role.

He has heated up in the conference tournament and will need another big game if Iowa State wants to knock off Arizona.

In the first matchup, Batemon was the only sign of life from 3-point range, scoring 14 points, making four of his attempts from long range. He’s going to need to have another big game from deep if the Cyclones want to pull off the upset.

Milan Momcilovic

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) shoots the ball during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

This one is much more stylistic. Of all 31 regular-season games, it’s fair to say that the loss at Arizona was Iowa State’s worst example of on and off-ball movements. And the man who controls that is Milan Momcilovic.

The junior had just five points in the game, but the biggest issue was the fact that he didn’t make off-ball movements, and the team couldn’t get him open.

A lot of Momcilovic’s role with the Cyclones is to be a decoy to get others moving, but when he isn’t a threat, the offense simply doesn’t work the same.

Against Arizona, the Cyclones have to move around and confuse the Wildcats’ defense if they want a chance to win, and that all starts with the threat that Momcilovic poses offensively.