Iowa State Basketball Debuted New Look Lineup in Creighton Exhibition

Exhibition games are a time for coaches to tinker with lineups, and that is what T.J. Otzelberger did with the Iowa State Cyclones.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger calls a play during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team took the court for the first time in the 2026-27 season in an exhibition at Hilton Coliseum against the Creighton Bluejays.

The end result, an 83-80 loss, is certainly not what anyone had hoped for. But the team was without its projected starting backcourt of Tamin Lipsey, who didn’t suit up for an undisclosed reason, and Killyan Toure, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Not having those two, along with another guard, Ryan Prather Jr., being on a minutes limit as he recovers from an injury of his own, left the team a bit shorthanded in the backcourt. It provided head coach T.J. Otzelberger an opportunity to see what Jaquan Johnson, Jamarion Bateman and Yusef Gray Jr. could do.

Not having two of his guards in the lineup also allowed Otzelberger to experiment with different lineup combinations. When both are healthy, Lipsey and Toure are expected to be the starting backcourt once again.

T.J. Otzelberger debuts jumbo lineup against Creighton

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Dominykas Pleta (21) looks to pass in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Without them, Otzelberger went in the opposite direction: a jumbo package. Tre Singleton, a transfer from the Northwestern Wildcats, started in the frontcourt along with Dominykas Pleta and Blake Buchanan.

Last season, Pleta was the direct backup at center to Buchanan. In Year 2 as teammates, it looks like they are going to share the court a little more often, which creates some unique advantages for the Cyclones.

The two tallest players on the roster, both listed at 6-foot-11, give Iowa State much-needed size on the perimeter. Both are athletic enough to handle the trapping-style scheme that Otzelberger deploys and crash the boards; at points last season, rebounding was an issue for the team.

This alignment is made possible because of the additions of Singleton and Taj Manning, an experienced transfer from the Kansas State Wildcats. Singleton, who is being viewed as the replacement for Joshua Jefferson, is 6-foot-8 and can play some small-ball center. He stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Creighton defeats Iowa State in an exhibition in Ames, 83-80. Freshman guard Katrelle Harmon led the Blue Jays with 16 points and six assists. 🔥

What else stands out? pic.twitter.com/kWUshXxlcZ

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) October 18, 2026

Manning, who is 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, provides a physical, bruising style of play the team has lacked in recent years. In 23 minutes of action, he had 13 points and five rebounds.

A little further down the depth chart is freshman Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan. A long, athletic big man who looks like a future terror on the defensive end, he is the perfect player to anchor this kind of defensive scheme.

Depth like that up front isn’t something the Cyclones had last year. It is part of the reason why Pleta and Bunchan shared all the minutes at center, but that looks like it won’t be the case in 2026-27.

Size matters in men’s college basketball, and Otzelberger has recognized that. His additions this offseason, other than the 5-foot-11 Johnson, are all listed at 6-foot-4 or taller.