Iowa State Cyclones Sharpshooter Stakes Claim to Starting Spot With Exhibition Play

A starting spot in the backcourt alongside Tamin Lipsey should go to a veteran sharpshooter who played well for the Iowa State Cyclones in their final regular season tuneup.

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The Iowa State Cyclones didn’t have much to get excited about following their first exhibition game against the Creighton Bluejays. The Big East contenders handled business, winning 71-58 in an ugly affair for the Cyclones.

Their offense was disjointed, recording very few assists in the game. Defensively, the team wasn’t pressuring as they normally do, not forcing turnovers and allowing Creighton to get into their sets too easily.

But in the second half of that game, Iowa State started to look more like itself. The defensive intensity ratcheted up, and the offense performed at a higher level.

That level of production carried over into the second exhibition against the Northwestern Wildcats. Freshman Killyan Toure drew a lot of praise. Another one of the standouts in the game was veteran wing Nate Heise.

Nate Heise played at high level during exhibitions

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He was someone that T.J. Otzelberger spoke a lot about heading into the fall. His summer was a roller coaster, but the head coach is expecting big things from the most experienced player on his roster.

A sixth-year senior in his second season with the Cyclones, Heise was challenged by his head coach following the loss to the Bluejays. He wanted to see more intensity and aggressiveness from the talented wing, and that is what he received on Sunday afternoon.

After going 0-for against Creighton from the 3-point line, Iowa State got on track against the Wildcats. Heise was leading the way, knocking down 5 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc, leading to a team-high19 points being scored.

He was capitalizing on various opportunities. With opponents game planning for Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic, there will be opportunities to take advantage of as a complementary player.

Heise showcased his spot-up shooting ability, knocking down multiple jumpers from the weakside in the first half. When a second-chance opportunity was created with an offensive rebound, he made it count with another 3-pointer.

Nate Heise's confidence on the rise entering season

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The transition 3-pointer he nailed in the second half to give the Cyclones a 49-46 lead is an example of how confident he is in his game heading into the 2025-26 campaign. He was not afraid to let it fly and made it count.

The starting shooting guard spot should be his at the start of the campaign. There are a lot of people who predicted that freshman Jamarion Batemon would be in the backcourt alongside Tamin Lipsey, but Heise has done more than enough to earn that role.

His 3-point shooting will be imperative to the Iowa State offensive game plan. He was on fire down the stretch of the 2024-25 season from 3-point range and has carried that into this fall, showing more consistency with his performance.

He's on a Heater.#Cyclones | #C5C | @heiseman_1 pic.twitter.com/hdP6vMls4b

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) October 26, 2025

Showcasing winning habits, Heise has locked in after a rocky summer. Otzelberger views him as a defensive captain and a leader on the court.

That two-way skill set will fit perfectly as a complement to Lipsey, Jefferson and Momcilovic as an impactful role player.