Iowa State Basketball Transfers Can Prevent Another March Blunder

NCAA tournament shortcomings could disappear for the Iowa State Cyclones with their transfer portal additions.

Mar 7, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Tre Singleton (8) dunks the ball as Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Grayson Grove (2) defends during the second half at Williams Arena. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones just wrapped up an immensely successful season, where they went 29-8 and reached the Sweet Sixteen in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Alas, while a second weekend appearance is great, it was a bit of a failure considering the success Iowa State has had throughout the year.

The Cyclones were as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll, beat the then No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers on the road by a landslide, and competed neck and neck with the Arizona Wildcats,  a near national champion, in the Big 12 tournament. But that loss to the Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet Sixteen didn’t feel like a great end to the year.

The biggest issue in the loss was simple: Tennessee rebounded, and Iowa State didn’t. The Volunteers, known for their offensive rebounds, absolutely dominated on the glass.

Iowa State addresses rebounding woes in transfer portal

Kansas State players Taj Manning (left) and PJ Haggerty fight for a rebound against Texas Tech during a Big 12 Conference men's basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, in United Supermarkets Arena. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They got extra possessions, and even when getting locked up on offense, found a way to put the ball in on a second or third try. It was a poor end to the season, and one that certainly could have been prevented had Joshua Jefferson been healthy.

Clearly, Iowa State has taken note of its failure. In the transfer portal, they quickly picked up two big men, both of whom can rebound the ball at an excellent level.

First, the Cyclones landed Taj Manning, formerly of the Kansas State Wildcats, who averaged an impressive 5.1 rebounds per game in limited minutes. He’s a great addition to the squad as a likely backup power forward.

Second, Iowa State brought in Tre Singleton, formerly of the Northwestern Wildcats, who grabbed 4.8 rebounds per game during his freshman season. He’s likely going to be the starting power forward with tons of potential in the red and gold.

In today’s Northwestern vs Iowa St exhibition matchup freshman 4 ⭐️ Tre Singleton (@TreSingleton_) showed major flashes.

The 6-8 forward got the start and finished with 14 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts, 4-8 FG.

Definitely a Big 10 freshman to watch. pic.twitter.com/Lhjn6OZW8q

— Rising Ballers Network (@dylan_lutey) October 26, 2025

If Manning and Singleton were on last year’s squad, they almost certainly would have prevented that early loss to Tennessee. Their rebounding and strength would have matched up much better with the Volunteers, and made it tougher to win the boards battle.

But there is no time for ifs. The reality is, Iowa State did lose the game, and didn’t have Manning or Singleton suiting up for them. However, it’s important that the Cyclones value rebounding throughout the transfer portal window.

The best way to perfect a team is by figuring out your weaknesses and adressing them in the offseason. And that’s exactly what head coach T.J. Otzelberger and Iowa State have done. Now, it’s time for the Cyclones to get it done in the 2026-27 season.