Blake Buchanan on Why He’s Returning to Iowa State Basketball

The Iowa State Cyclones are going to have a lot of minutes and production to replace on their roster this offseason.

Two starters, point guard Tamin Lipsey and forward Joshua Jefferson, aren’t coming back for the 2026-27 season after exhausting their eligibility. The same goes for guard Nate Heise, the team’s sixth man.

Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder have also finished their college eligibility, and sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic is testing the NBA draft waters, but could return for his senior campaign.

One player that head coach T.J. Otzelberger knows for sure will be coming back to Ames is Blake Buchanan. The starting center in 36 out of the team’s 37 games, he is planning to come back to the Cyclones for his senior year.

Blake Buchanan shares why he is remaining with Iowa State

Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan shooting over Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno. — Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan (23) shoots as Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) defends during the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"I'm coming back," Buchanan said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert (subscription required). "I'm here. This year has been the best year of college basketball I've had. I found the love of the game again. I'm here to stay."

After spending the first two seasons of his career with the Virginia Cavaliers, Buchanan entered the transfer portal last offseason following a coaching change. He landed with Iowa State, and it has proven to be a perfect match.

Buchanan put up career highs essentially across the board. The 24.5 minutes, 8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.8 steals were all career highs. As was the 63.6% shooting from the field and 63.6% effective field goal percentage.

He was the perfect fit for the scheme that Otzelberger was running on both ends of the floor.

Blake Buchanan says he plans to be back at Iowa State next year.

Milan Momcilovic said he’ll have some decisions to make re: NBA.
— Travis Hines (@TravisHines21) March 28, 2026

Offensively, Buchanan did a lot of the dirty work. He would set screens and battle on the boards, creating second-chance opportunities for the team. The quintessential glue guy, he did a lot of the things to help the team win that may not have shown up in the box score.

Defensively, his athleticism and length were the perfect fit schematically. In a system that was heavy on trapping and switching, he had no issues moving around the perimeter to match up with whoever the defense dictated.

He was a playmaker on that end of the floor, averaging nearly one steal and one block per game. His activity was key to the Cyclones’ defense operating at the level that it did.

Having him back in the fold for his senior year is a huge win for the program. With so many star players potentially moving on, it is key to retain as many role players as possible to help teach the next crop of incoming players what it means to play Iowa State basketball.