Iowa State Basketball Identifies Joshua Jefferson Replacement

The Iowa State Cyclones have found a good amount of success when navigating the transfer portal under head coach T.J. Otzelberger.

Arguably, the best find in his tenure to this point has been Joshua Jefferson. After playing two seasons with the Saint Mary’s Gaels, Jefferson played the final two years of his collegiate career with the Cyclones and blossomed into a star.

Turning Jefferson into a two-way force with a legitimate chance to be selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is an excellent selling point for Otzelberger to share with prospective targets in the transfer portal.

It certainly won’t be easy finding another Jefferson, but Iowa State is certainly going to try. Who do they have their sights set on this time? Tre Singleton has emerged as a player Otzelberger wants to bring into the program.

Iowa State targeting Tre Singleton as Joshua Jefferson replacement

Northwestern Wildcats forward Tre Singleton grabs rebound. — Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Tre Singleton (8) grabs a rebound against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half at United Center. | David Banks-Imagn Images

“Iowa State has seemingly identified Singleton as a top target to replace Jefferson next season. While his production likely will not be All-American level, there are traits and reasons to believe Singleton can develop into a more impactful, productive player as he develops in college basketball,” wrote Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports network (subscription required), in a transfer portal intel update.

A transfer from the Northwestern Wildcats, Singleton is one of several prospects whom the Cyclones will be hosting in Ames this weekend. Joining him will be Jaquan Johnson of the Bradley Braves, Taj Manning of the Kansas State Wildcats, Ryan Prather Jr. of the Robert Morris Colonials and Leon Bond III of the Northern Iowa Panthers.

There is a lot to like about Singleton that makes it easy to see why he would be such a great fit under Otzelberger with Iowa State basketball. Finding more size is a priority for the Cyclones, and he would help accomplish that goal.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds, he has the size to handle wings and power forwards alike. It was a weakness at points this past season, with Tamin Lipsey, Nate Heise and Killyan Toure often having to play up and defend wings.

As a true freshman, Singleton more than held his own in one of the best conferences in the country. In 34 games, 31 of which were starts, he averaged 7.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks in 25.0 minutes per game.

Would love to see @TreSingleton_ in Cardinal and Gold next year.

Would be a great addition with Kiss to each play the 4. At 6’8 he’s got great mobility, he’s very good in transition and reminds me of a younger version of Joshua Jefferson.

Enjoy your time in Ames, Tre! https://t.co/jm1GQKOyff pic.twitter.com/xTqh3Vw7Ez
— Francis Gene O’Reilly (@ChiClone69) April 7, 2026

His efficiency dropped a little bit during Big Ten play, shooting only 43% from the field compared to 47.7% overall, but the production was similar. That is encouraging; he was able to sustain during his first year as a collegiate player.

Having the ability to have Singleton in the program for three years is certainly enticing as well. There are a lot of great tools to work with and Iowa State has a history of getting the most out of power forwards.

Expecting him or anyone to replicate exactly what Jefferson provided is unrealistic, but Singleton can certainly be a helpful piece of the frontcourt rotation. He and Jackson Kiss could anchor the power forward spot for years to come.