Hall of Fame Coach Praises Iowa State Basketball for NCAA Tournament Play

The Iowa State Cyclones came into the 2026 NCAA tournament riding some positive momentum.

They dominated the Arizona State Sun Devils historically to start their run in the Big 12 tournament. The Texas Tech Red Raiders were beaten in the quarterfinals before being defeated by the Arizona Wildcats by a Jaden Bradley buzzer-beater in the semifinals.

That pushed them to a No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, putting them in a great spot. However, they were hit with some adversity almost instantly, losing star Joshua Jefferson to an ankle injury not even three minutes into the game against the Tennessee State Tigers.

The Cyclones were still able to beat the Ohio Valley Conference champions, which set up a game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Round of 32. That performance is one that created a lot of attention, including from Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Mike Krzyzewski praises Iowa State's performance in NCAA tournament

Former Duke Blue Devils and Army head coach Mike Krzyzewski is honored by West Point before a game. — Nov 11, 2025; West Point, New York, USA; Former Duke Blue Devils and Army head coach Mike Krzyzewski is honored by West Point before a game between the Army Black Knights and Duke Blue Devils at Christl Arena. | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, the former Duke Blue Devils and Team USA head coach praised the performance of Iowa State. He believes they have been one of the most impressive teams thus far in the tournament.

"One of the most impressive performances for me was Iowa State, especially with Jefferson getting hurt..They were down early to Kentucky and they stayed poised,” Coach K said.

The Wildcats came out on fire from the opening tip. They led by as many as 12 points in the game, putting a lot of pressure on the Cyclones, who were going to be tested playing without their senior forward.

However, head coach T.J. Otzelberger and his staff put together a magnificent game plan. A few minutes of good shooting from Kentucky weren’t going to derail their confidence. They knew if they stuck to the plan, good things would happen.

"One of the most impressive performance for me was Iowa State especially with Jefferson getting hurt..

They were down early to Kentucky and they stayed poised" ~ Coach K #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/wCdSFkgmys
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 23, 2026

The players all bought in, and the results were just as they expected. Iowa State took a one-point lead into halftime, never deterring from the plan in place, and ended up winning in blowout fashion, 82-63.

There was a key moment that defined the performance for the Cyclones. Hustle from Milan Momcilovic, Blake Buchanan and Killyan Toure created a loose ball after a missed shot, which Momcilovic would corral and knock down a 3-pointer.

That started an 8-0 run to end the half, with Iowa State taking the lead and never looking back.

The Best Staff in America.#Cyclones | #C5C https://t.co/Ub0B86bdwf
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) March 22, 2026

Sixth-year senior Nate Heise, who scored 12 points as Jefferson’s replacement in the starting lineup, noted that the Wildcats looked like a team when faced with adversity; they would roll over and give up.

That certainly looked to be the case. Forced into 20 turnovers, they looked like a team that was just looking to play out the string once things didn’t go their way.

Otzelberger’s crew has the exact opposite mindset, which is why they are set to play in the Sweet Sixteen against the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Wildcats season has come to an end.