Iowa State Basketball’s Cade Kelderman Commits to New Team in Portal

Former Iowa State Cyclones point guard Cade Kelderman has found a new home in the transfer portal.

Iowa State Cyclones guard Cade Kelderman (13) passes the ball around Alcorn State Braves guard Bryson Calamese (4) during the first half on Dec. 3, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When people think of the Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team the last few years, the first names that come to mind are Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic.

The Big 3 helped put the program on the map over the last four years, elevating the team under head coach T.J. Otzelberger. But there were plenty of players behind the scenes who offered invaluable help.

One of those players was Cade Kelderman, who spent the first three years of his collegiate career with the Cyclones but opted to enter the transfer portal when it opened on April 7. After just over a week, the Waukee Northwest product has found a new home.

Kelderman announced on his X account that he has officially committed to the South Dakota Coyotes in the transfer portal. A walk-on in his first two seasons at Iowa State, Kelderman earned a scholarship for the 2025-26 campaign, his junior year.

Cade Kelderman commits to South Dakota

Iowa State Men's Basketball player Cade Kelderman 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

Categorized as a grad transfer, he likely has one year of eligibility remaining and is choosing to play it out with the Coyotes in the Summit League.

Given the direction the Cyclones were heading this offseason, it made sense for Kelderman to explore his options. If he was seeking an opportunity to break into a rotation and get legitimate playing time, it unfortunately wasn’t going to come in Ames.

It could come with South Dakota, which went 16-16 last season and 8-8 in conference play and is experiencing a massive turnover with its roster. 11 players have entered the transfer portal, including leading scorer Isaac Bruns.

With so many openings on the roster, Kelderman should have the opportunity to vie for a significant role in the rotation, potentially even emerging as the team’s starting point guard.

Go Yotes! 🐺 pic.twitter.com/E3NCCghist

— Cade Kelderman (@cade_for3) April 15, 2026

In his three seasons with Iowa State, Kelderman played only 177 minutes, scoring 34 points with 23 assists, nine rebounds and 15 steals. He was never a regular part of the team’s rotation, but he remained ready to perform whenever his number was called.

When injuries hit the team during the 2025 Big 12 Tournament and into the NCAA tournament that year, Kelderman stepped up. He played 18 minutes against the BYU Cougars in the Big 12 tournament loss and 18 minutes in the Round of 64 game against the Lipscomb Bison.

Those were two of the four times that Kelderman played double-digit minutes in a game during his Cyclones career. The other two came this past season against the Alcorn State Braves and Houston Christian Huskies in non-conference blowout victories.