Iowa State Basketball Freshman Coming Back for Sophomore Year

The Iowa State Cyclones are going to lose a lot of experience and production from their 2025-26 roster for the 2026-27 season.

Five seniors graduated in Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise, Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder. Three more players entered the transfer portal with Cade Kelderman, Mason Williams and Milan Momcilovic leaving the program.

Despite so much turnover on the roster, there is a good amount of continuity returning for the 2026-27 campaign. Four rotation players, Blake Buchanan, Dominykas Pleta, Jamarion Batemon and Killyan Toure are coming back.

As is Xzavion Mitchell, who shared on his X account that he is returning to Ames for his sophomore season after a freshman year that was plagued by injury.

Xzavion Mitchell coming back to Iowa State

Iowa State Men's Basketball player Xzavion Mitchell posing during media day. — Iowa State Men's Basketball player Xzavion Mitchell stands for a photo during media day at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Oct. 8, 2025. | Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A former four-star recruit from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was a top-100 recruit in the Class of 2025, but his opportunities to play were far and few between because of the ailments he battled, appearing in only seven games during his first year with the program.

He didn’t appear in a game after playing two minutes against the Long Beach State Beach on Dec. 21, 2025, near the end of the non-conference schedule.

It will be interesting to see what is in store for Mitchell in Year 2 in Ames. Hopefully, he is healthy and able to contribute because he came into the program with a lot of potential as one of the best players in his class.

Measuring in at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, he certainly has ideal measurements and size to handle playing on the wing in the Big 12.

Betting on me! pic.twitter.com/3mzaqVPeGY
— Xzavion Mitchell (@XzavionMitchell) April 15, 2026

However, he is going to have to earn playing time. He will have a leg up on the newcomers, being on campus for a year and learning T.J. Otzelberger’s system, but competition is going to be fierce for playing time and a spot in the rotation.

Five new players on the roster joined via the transfer portal, and four players are in the Class of 2026, putting the number of people on the roster at 15, including walk-on Anthony Rise.

Mitchell will most likely be competing with fellow Class of 2025 member Batemon, Leon Bond III, a transfer from the Northern Iowa Panthers, and Ryan Prather Jr., a transfer from the Robert Morris Colonials, for minutes.

There is a lot of talent on the depth chart, which will create a competitive atmosphere at practice. Even if Mitchell is unable to break into the rotation, he will play a key role in helping prepare his teammates for what’s to come during the season.

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