5 Players Who Won’t Be on Iowa State Basketball in 2026-27 Season

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball season came to a disappointing end against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

After defeating the Tennessee State Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats in their first two games, the Cyclones ran out of steam without star forward Joshua Jefferson, who was nursing an ankle injury suffered against Tennessee State.

When the final buzzer sounded, it wasn’t long after that focus shifted to the future for Iowa State. There is going to be a lot of turnover on the roster with multiple guaranteed departures, and the future of Milan Momcilovic, who declared for the 2026 NBA Draft for now, is up in the air.

Who isn’t coming back? Here are five players who definitely won’t be part of Iowa State basketball for the 2026-27 season.

Tamin Lipsey

An Ames native, Tamin Lipsey got to live out a lifelong dream playing for the Cyclones. He is one of the last of a dying breed: a player who attends the same school for his entire collegiate career, spanning all four years.

Replacing him is going to be an incredibly difficult task. He has been the heart and soul of the Iowa State basketball team for four years, starting every game that he played in throughout his career.

No. 3 is never going to be worn by a men’s basketball player again. Melvin Ejim is having his No. 3 retired next season, and Lipsey will have his raised to the rafters sometime in the future as well.

Joshua Jefferson

After beginning his career with the Saint Mary’s Gaels for two seasons, Joshua Jefferson transferred to Iowa State. His game blossomed under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, and he now has legitimate NBA aspirations.

His career in Ames came to an unfortunate end. He was forced to watch his teammates from the sidelines after suffering a nasty ankle injury. Had he been healthy, things would have assuredly been different for the Cyclones on the court.

Jefferson, despite being there for only two seasons, reached the 1,000-point threshold with the program.

Nate Heise

Another key transfer, Nate Heise, played four seasons with the Northern Iowa Panthers before landing with Iowa State. A sixth-year senior, he stepped up when the team needed him most in the NCAA tournament.

The ultimate glue guy and called a sixth starter by Otzelberger, he was tabbed with replacing Jefferson in the lineup and stepped up big time. Any task that needed to be accomplished on the court, he was capable of doing it.

Dominick Nelson

The 2024-25 WAC Player of the Year with the Utah Valley Wolverines, Dominick Nelson, was an exciting transfer for the Cyclones. He was viewed as someone who could help replace the production of Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert with his ability to get downhill and attack the basket.

Alas, things didn’t work out as planned. He was removed from the rotation during conference play, appearing sparingly. However, he did step into 19 minutes of action against the Tigers when Jefferson got hurt and performed well.

Eric Mulder

Another transfer, Eric Mulder, played three seasons with the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastadons as one of the most efficient offensive players in the country. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate as well with a Power Program.

He was beaten out by freshman Dominykas Pleta for the backup center spot behind Blake Buchanan. Playing time was hard to come by throughout the season, averaging only 3.8 minutes per game in 20 appearances.