4 Takeaways From Iowa State vs. Tennessee State in NCAA Tournament

The Iowa State Cyclones made a statement in their Round of 64 game against the Tennessee State Tigers in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) shoots the ball against Tennessee State Tigers forward Carlous Williams (12) during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones started their quest for a national championship, taking on the Tennessee State Tigers in the Round of 64 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Heavily favored heading into the game, the Cyclones certainly lived up to expectations. They took a dominating 55-29 lead into halftime, rallying after their star forward, Joshua Jefferson, suffered an injury less than three minutes into the contest.

Despite that sizable loss, Iowa State was able to handle business, winning 108-74 and advancing onto the Round of 32, where they will be facing off against the Kentucky Wildcats, who won an overtime thriller against the Santa Clara Broncos in their Round of 64 game.

In the victory, there were a lot of takeaways for the Cyclones to pay attention to.

Joshua Jefferson Injury

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) is helped off of the court after suffering an apparent injury to his left leg while shooting a layup against Tennessee State Tigers forward Jalen Pitre (not pictured) during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

The biggest takeaway for Iowa State from its win is the unfortunate injury that Joshua Jefferson suffered early in the contest. Not even three minutes into the game, the senior forward suffered what looked like a severe ankle injury.

Unable to put any pressure on his foot, he was helped off the court by two people and brought right into the area in the back. He was ruled out for the game at halftime and was seen on the bench in a walking boot.

His availability will be a major storyline moving forward. Without him, the Cyclones face a tall order advancing in the NCAA tournament.

Suffocating Defense

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Tennessee State Tigers guard Dante Harris (10) shoots the ball against Iowa State Cyclones guard Cade Kelderman (13) during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

When Iowa State is at its best, they are playing at a high level on the defensive end. Their ability was on full display against Tennessee State, speeding up a fast-paced team and forcing them into a ton of turnovers.

In the first half alone, the Tigers turned the ball over 12 times. They ended the game with 16 turnovers, which the Cyclones took full advantage of by scoring 23 points off of the Tennessee State miscues.

Killyan Toure On Track Offensively

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) dunks the ball against the Tennessee State Tigers during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

One of the reasons that Iowa State saw its offensive efficiency wane near the end of the regular season was how teams defended its freshman guard. They were daring Killyan Toure to shoot and he was struggling mightily.

But his confidence began to grow during the Big 12 tournament, and it carried right over into the NCAA tournament. He was lights out against the Tigers, scoring 25 points while knocking down two 3-pointers.

The stat sheet was stuffed with 11 rebounds and six assists recorded as well. With Jefferson sidelined, someone needs to step up and he looks ready to do so.

Supporting Cast Goes Off

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) and Iowa State Cyclones guard Mason Williams (2) react during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Without Jefferson, other players had to rise to the occasion to replace his incredible amount of production. T.J. Otzelberger received just that from the supporting cast, inserting Dominick Nelson into the rotation in place of his senior star.

He stepped up in an expanded role along with other supporting cast members, such as Nate Heise, Jamarion Batemon, Blake Buchanan and Dominykas Pleta. Even with their senior point guard, Tamin Lipsey, in foul trouble, it didn’t matter.

The bench created a massive edge, outsourcing Tennessee State 50 to six en route to their blowout victory.