3 Ways Iowa State Can Bounce Back From Kansas Loss Against Cincinnati

There are three ways for the Iowa State Cyclones to start a new winning streak after suffering their first loss of the season.

Jan 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger reacts on the sideline during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The historic start for the Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team came to a screeching halt in their last game against the Kansas Jayhawks.

After winning the first 16 games of the season and steamrolling everyone in their path, the Cyclones were crushed by the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse, 84-63. It was a disappointing outcome, with Iowa State getting beaten at its own game in many facets.

The loss was certainly disappointing, but the Cyclones will be back at it against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Jan. 17. Compared to the rest of the Big 12, this is as easy as things will get for Iowa State in a bounce-back scenario; the Bearcats are the second-lowest-ranked team in the NET in the conference.

Alas, this will still be a challenge for T.J. Otzelberger and his squad heading on the road for the second straight game. Cincinnati is ranked a respectable No. 84 in the NET, and that number would jump significantly with an upset over the Cyclones.

How can Iowa State avoid a letdown performance and get back on track? Here are three ways they can bounce back and get into the win column again.

Avoid A Slow Start

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger calls a play during the second half against Oklahoma State in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 10, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

An issue that the Cyclones have run into throughout their Big 12 schedule thus far is getting off to painfully slow starts. It didn’t hurt them against the West Virginia Mountaineers, Baylor Bears or Oklahoma State Cowboys, picking up double-digit victories over all of them.

But against Kansas, the slow start doomed them as they couldn’t recover outside of a burst early in the second half. In another road contest, they must get off to a faster start so they aren’t playing catch-up in a hostile environment again.

Otzelberger has thrived at creating an edge at halftime, with Iowa State dominating its power conference opponents through the under-16 timeout in the second half. He has to figure out how to get his team playing at that high level from the opening tip.

Getting Milan Momcilovic More Involved

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) takes a three-point shot over Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Parsa Fallah (22) and Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Isaiah Coleman (21) during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 10, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This coincides with the first way of getting off to a faster start. Getting their junior sharpshooter involved early and often could certainly help get the team going out of the gate with better production.

Over at KenPom, Milan Momcilovic is regarded as a role player based on the number of possessions used. Joshua Jefferson, Dominick Nelson, Killyan Toure, Tamin Lipsey and Dominykas Pleta all have higher usage rates than him; that has to change.

Momcilovic is too talented an offensive player to have a complementary role on this team. Pushing him into just the major contributor range could help erase some of the slow early starts that have plagued them.

Take Care of Basketball

Jan 13, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) loses control of the ball while driving against Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) and guard Jamari McDowell (11) during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Against Kansas, the Cyclones were uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball. Jefferson turned it over five times himself, but it is more than just turnovers that go into taking care of the basketball.

There were possessions with some bad shots taken, which can be as detrimental as a turnover. Taking a poor shot and having the court unbalanced creates an opportunity for the opponent to counterattack without opposition.

That happened far too often against Kansas and is something that has to be cleaned up against Cincinnati to avoid a second straight loss.