Iowa State Cyclones Playing It Smart Easing Freshmen Into Roles on the Hardwood

Some of the Iowa State Cyclones freshman don't have prominent roles out of the gate. But, it makes sense to ease them into roles.

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The Iowa State Cyclones got the 2025-26 men’s basketball college season off on the right foot. They destroyed the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Hilton Coliseum on Nov. 3, 88-50, to start off 1-0.

Iowa State will be back on the court Wednesday night, hosting the Grambling State Tigers in their second game of the season. These non-conference games against foes they are huge favorites against are a great opportunity for young players to get their feet wet.

The Cyclones have a number of freshmen that they are excited about. Killyan Toure drew a ton of praise for how well he performed in the offseason and exhibition games. Even opposing head coaches couldn’t help but speak highly of him.

His performance led to a surprising decision from head coach T.J. Otzelberger out of the gate. Toure started in the season opener alongside Tamin Lipsey, a move no one predicted heading into the campaign, as the only freshman with a significant role in the rotation at the onset of the season.

Killyan Toure is only Iowa State freshman with prominent role

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The Frenchman was considered the ideal backup option to the senior point guard off the bench. In the exhibition games, Toure started in place of Lipsey alongside sixth-year senior Nate Heise in the backcourt.

Heise came off the bench as the sixth man on Monday, but the roles are fluid. Otzelberger noted that his starting five could change based on matchups.

Against Fairleigh Dickinson, he wanted the on-ball defensive pressure of Toure in the lineup. It was smart to have another capable point guard on the court to ease some of the responsibility on Lipsey, who was returning from a knee injury suffered a few weeks ago.

Another interesting takeaway from the season opener was the usage of two of the other freshmen on the roster: guard Jamarion Batemon and center Dominykas Pleta.

Jamarion Batemon, Dominykas Pleta will eventually have roles with Cyclones

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Batemon is someone that many people predicted would be in the starting lineup alongside Lipsey. His dynamic scoring and shooting ability were viewed as a good fit alongside the defensive standout.

Alas, his role was minimal in Game 1. He played 10 minutes, but nearly half of that game once Otzelberger emptied his bench with 4:30 remaining in the contest.

“Batemon will be given time to mature into a bigger role with bigger responsibilities as the season ages into December, January and February,” wrote Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required).

The same can be said for Pleta, who played nine minutes total but was in the lineup for the final stretch when all of the regulars were pulled from the game.

It makes a ton of sense for Otzelberger to ease these guys into what could be prominent roles later in the season. Getting them minutes now to help their development is smart, so if their number is called later on in important games, they know what to expect.