4 Iowa State Basketball Standouts in 2 NCAA Tournament Games

The Iowa State Cyclones have been playing at an incredibly high level during the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

In their first game, they dominated the Tennessee State Tigers, winning 108-74. After a slow start in their next game against the Kentucky Wildcats, the Cyclones were able to get on track and win 82-63.

That has set them up for a matchup with another SEC foe, the Tennessee Volunteers, in the Sweet Sixteen. What makes this run all the more impressive is that it has been done without Joshua Jefferson, who injured his ankle not even three minutes into the game against Tennessee State.

Other players have stepped up to pick up the slack. Here are four of the standout performers for Iowa State basketball thus far in the NCAA tournament.

Blake Buchanan

The Cyclones have been playing small a lot more without Jefferson available. Five of the eight players in the rotation without him are 6-foot-5 or shorter. Milan Momcilovic is 6-foot-8, the same as Jefferson, but he hasn’t made much of an impact on the interior.

That has put a lot of pressure on Blake Buchanan, but he has stepped up. Through two games in the NCAA tournament, he has grabbed 15 rebounds, seven of which have been on the offensive glass.

He has also scored 20 points and handed out 10 assists to go with five steals and two blocks. Buchanan is making his presence felt on both ends.

Nate Heise

It has been a collective team effort to replace the scoring production of Jefferson. Helping lead the charge in that department has been Nate Heise.

A sixth-year senior, head coach T.J. Otzelberger has referred to him as a sixth starter all season. He was tabbed as Jefferson’s replacement in the starting five, and he has been excellent.

Heise scored 22 points against the Tigers off the bench and 12 against Kentucky, knocking down five 3-pointers. Overall, his efficiency has been excellent, shooting 13-of-21 from the field.

A strong rebounding guard, he has pulled down six while handing out six assists.

Milan Momcilovic

With Jefferson sidelined, even more attention was going to be given to the junior sharpshooter. Milan Momcilovic is the No. 1 priority for opposing defenses because of how much gravity his 3-point shooting provides.

Despite the extra attention, he has kept on rolling offensively. He has shot 12-of-23 from the field, making seven 3-pointers. He has been chipping in elsewhere, pulling down nine rebounds and handing out three assists as well.

Momcilovic has been a playmaker on the defensive end as well, recording two steals and two blocks thus far in the NCAA tournament.

Dominick Nelson

The 2024-25 WAC Player of the Year with the Utah Valley Wolverines, things haven’t gone exactly according to plan for Dominick Nelson. He wasn’t in the rotation during Big 12 play, getting spot minutes in blowouts.

That is why he is on this list. The game plan changed when Jefferson got hurt, and he stayed ready to contribute in whatever fashion the team needed. He was thrust into 19 minutes of action against Tennessee State, scoring nine points with two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

Nelson finished that game with a plus/minus ratio of +26. He played only four minutes against the Wildcats, but made an impact with a plus/minus ratio of +9. Credit should be given for staying ready and impacting winning basketball while on the court.