Iowa State Has Two of Most Impactful Players in Men's College Basketball

Two Iowa State Cyclones players are making an impact unlike many others in men's college basketball.

Jan 10, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger talks with Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) and Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) in their game with the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is in the midst of the best season in program history.

They are currently 20-2, already setting records for the most wins to start a season with 16, which was also the longest winning streak a Cyclones men’s team has had at any point in a campaign.

A two-game losing streak made unwanted Big 12 history, but Iowa State has bounced back in a big way. During their current four-game winning streak, they are beating teams by an average of 26.75 points per game.

There have been a lot of contributors to that success, and two of the leaders are Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic. That duo ranks amongst the most impactful performers in college basketball this season.

Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic have impressive Net Ratings

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) passes the ball to forward Joshua Jefferson (5) around FDU Knights forward/center Arthur Cox (55) during the first half of the season-opener on Nov. 3, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nick Bateman shared some eye-popping numbers, via cbbanalytics.com, on X ranking the 10 players whose teams perform worse when they are on the bench. Coming in at Nos. 9 and 10 are Jefferson and Momcilovic.

Jefferson, who was selected to the Karl Malone Midseason Top 10 list, has a Net Rating difference of +28.0, which is in the 98th percentile, while playing 687 minutes and being on the bench for 193. That is tied with Pryce Sandford of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Just barely below their number is Momcilovic, who was named to the Julius Irving Award Midseason Top 10 list. His Net Rating is at +27.9, and he has played 635 minutes this season and has been off the court for 245.

Atop the list is Tucker DeVries of the Indiana Hoosiers with a Net Rating of +41.7. After that is Cameron Carr of the Baylor Bears, Henri Veesaar of the North Carolina Tar Heels, MJ Collins of the Utah State Aggies, John Camden of the California Golden Bears, Fletcher Loyer of the Purdue Boilermakers and Bennett Stirtz of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Top 10 players in CBB based on how much worse their team plays when they're on the bench

Data from https://t.co/8zGgmx5WVv pic.twitter.com/E77hYnuhjz

— Nick Bateman (CBB guru) (@nickbateman33) February 4, 2026

All of those players are integral to their team finding success on the court this season. The Cyclones were counting on their dynamic duo to step into larger roles this year, and both have answered the call.

Jefferson and Momcilovic stuffing stat sheet

Feb 1, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) brings the ball up court during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Jefferson is averaging 17.3 points per game, showing improved shooting ability while knocking down 40.6% of his 3-point attempts. He is also grabbing 7.8 rebounds, handing out 5.1 assists and recording 1.5 steals to go along with 0.9 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game.

It should come as no surprise that he is in the running for the National Player of the Year Award. However, he does have a lot of work to do if he wants to catch Cameron Boozer of the Duke Blue Devils, who is going to stuff his trophy case in his one season in Durham.

Momcilovic is averaging a team-high 18.6 points per game. His 3-point shooting has been otherworldly, leaving the nation by knocking down 54% of his attempts.

History is within grasp for him, as the school’s single-season record is going to be shattered, and he will start ascending the all-time single-season list.