Iowa State Basketball Receives Honest Assessment From Tom Crean

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team wasted no time getting to work on the roster when the transfer portal opened up the day following the Michigan Wolverines victory over the UConn Huskies in the 2026 National Championship Game.

Iowa State quickly identified players they thought would fit into the scheme that head coach T.J. Otzelberger has been building in the five years he has been at the helm. Visits were set up for the first weekend of the portal being open, and before those even commenced, players were committing to the program.

All in all, it was a successful transfer portal haul for the Cyclones, who landed five players who will address any weaknesses on the roster from players departing. And, it drew the attention of former Marquette Golden Eagles, Georgia Bulldogs and Indiana Hoosiers head coach, Tom Crean.

He took to X to comment on how well Otzelberger has done, continually restocking the roster with high-end talent to raise the ceiling of a program that won only two games in the season before he took over.

Tom Crean praises work of T.J. Otzelberger with Iowa State

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger speaks during the postgame press conference after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

“There is a reason that @CycloneMBB and TJ keep that Train rolling every year in Ames. They identify who has the competitive edge and upside to keep getting better every week. That Program is a Machine of connected staff and driven players. They are a resilient bunch,” he wrote in his post.

First, it was Leon Bond III, a forward formerly of the Northern Iowa Panthers, who committed before even attending his visit to Ames.

Once the weekend rolled around, commits continued. Taj Manning, formerly of the Kansas State Wildcats, was the next to commit. Then Juquan Johnson of the Bradley Braves and one of the top-rated players in the transfer portal, announced he was joining Iowa State.

Tre Singleton, a forward from the Northwestern Wildcats who was a top 100 recruit in the Class of 2025, also committed during his visit. Last but not least was Ryan Prather Jr., a guard from the Robert Morris Colonials.

There is a reason that @CycloneMBB and TJ keep that Train rolling every year in Ames. They identify who has the competitive edge and upside to keep getting better every week. That Program is a Machine of connected staff and driven players. They are a resilient bunch. https://t.co/j4IxNvoI7T
— Tom Crean (@TomCrean) April 15, 2026

It wasn’t all positive news during the weekend, with history-making sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic entering the transfer portal and reaffirming his focus on realizing his dream to be selected in the 2026 NBA Draft.

His departure, in addition to Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Nate Heise exhausting eligibility, created massive holes that had to be filled this offseason.

As Crean noted, Otzelberger did an excellent job of keeping things moving. Losing star-caliber players and a sixth-year senior who is integral to the team’s success is tough, but he has put the program in a position to ensure the good times keep rolling.

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