Ealy Season Weakness for Iowa State Cyclones Men's Basketball Offense To Keep Eye On

It is still early, but there is one Iowa State Cyclones weakness to monitor moving forward.

Iowa State Cyclones forward (5) shoots the ball around Grambling State Tiger forward Jimel Lane (5) during the first half on Nov. 6, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have handled business just as they were expected during the first two games of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season. After defeating the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights in their opener 88-50, they dominated the Grambling State Tigers 102-62 on Thursday evening.

There were a lot of positive takeaways from the team’s performance thus far. Freshman guard Killyan Toure has dazzled as a member of the starting lineup alongside Tamin Lipsey in the backcourt. They are a fearsome duo defensively.

Milan Momcilovic has been lighting it up from long range, already knocking down 10 3-point attempts. Joshua Jefferson already has one 20-point performance under his belt. Blake Buchanan is still adjusting after transferring from the Virginia Cavaliers, but he looked great in Game 2.

Heading into their first test of the season on Monday against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, there is one area of concern to keep an eye on: free-throw rate and percentage.

Iowa State has work to do at the free throw line

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Against Fairleigh Dickinson, Iowa State attempted only nine free throw attempts, making six of them. In the first half against Grambling State, they attempted only seven free throws.

Having only 16 free throw attempts through 60 minutes was a shock. Last season, the Cyclones averaged just about 22 free throws per game, which was in the top 40 of the nation. Over 20% of their points scored came from the charity stripe.

That is one area the team is certainly missing: Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert. They were aggressive offensively, continually attacking downhill to draw fouls and score easy points.

Another Dub.#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/TlkgpEI9xI

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) November 7, 2025

T.J. Otzelberger has hopes that Dominick Nelson can help fill that void as a premier athlete who can excel in the open court and get into the paint. But the entire offensive scheme could be changing with an emphasis being placed on 3-point shooting.

Jefferson and Momcilovic are letting it fly from long range with more frequency. Toure is attempting a handful of long-range shots per game, and freshman Jamarion Batemon was recruited for his shooting prowess.

However, this is a team that pressures the opponent on both ends of the floor. Otzelberger wants his team attacking the rim and getting to the foul line for easy points, which they did in the second half against the Tigers.

Iowa State needs to improve free throw shooting percentage

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They had 22 free throw attempts in the second half, including 16 in the first 10 minutes of action out of halftime.

"When you get in the paint, you have a chance to get fouled," Otzelberger said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "When you get to the offensive boards, you have a chance to get fouled. So, by virtue, we did a better job getting to the free throw line."

Highlights from Last Night's Victory ⤵️#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/VXBKRwBShE

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) November 7, 2025

Alas, Iowa State left a lot of points on the court. They made only 18 of their 29 free throw attempts, putting their season percentage at 63.2%.

That is a number that has to improve as the season moves along. Not converting free throws is an easy way to let a defense off the hook for making mistakes and changing the momentum in games.

It will be something worth keeping an eye on, especially against stronger competition. If the Cyclones aren’t aggressive on offense, the effectiveness of their scheme wanes greatly.