Iowa State Men’s Basketball Lacking Star Power Compared to Big 12 Peers

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is going to look a lot different when they take the court for the 2026-27 season compared to the roster that finished up the 2025-26 campaign.

There are several rotation players returning, giving head coach T.J. Otzelberger a nice foundation to build upon. Killyan Toure, Jamarion Batemon and Dominykas Pleta are three freshmen coming back for their sophomore years. Starting center Blake Buchanan is also returning.

However, the team is losing a lot of star power. Three starters, point guard Tamin Lipsey and forwards Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic, won’t be returning. That is a lot of experience, production and leadership leaving Ames, as others will have to step up.

It will be interesting to see who can fill that void. While Iowa State, as a team, is still expected to have success in the Big 12, individual accolades and awards are going to be much more difficult to earn.

Iowa State not predicted to have any players on All-Big 12 First Team

Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger addresses the media. — Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger addresses the media after a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Tennessee State Tigers at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As shared by college basketball insider Jon Rothstein on X, the Cyclones don’t have any players who will be on the Big 12 Preseason First Team. In his opinion, it will be Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov of the Arizona Wildcats, JT Toppin of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Tyran Stokes of the Kansas Jayhawks and Robert Wright III of the BYU Cougars who will be on the first team.

There could certainly be a spot that opens up with Toppin’s return from an ACL injury suffered in February clouding his return to the court. Also, the final Big 12 First Team included 10 players for the 2025-26 campaign, so there will be more spots up for grabs.

Jefferson was a member of the All-Big 12 First Team as a senior, with his historic production being recognized by voters and helping catapult him into the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, where he was selected No. 28 overall.

All-Big 12 Preseason First-Team. pic.twitter.com/iL1yFcZKJV
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 22, 2026

On the second team, Iowa State had two representatives: Lipsey and Momcilovic. Both earned those spots, with Lipsey thriving as a two-way impact player and Momcilovic putting together arguably the best 3-point shooting season in college basketball history.

Who is going to rise to the occasion for the Cyclones this upcoming season? Toure and Batemon will both be put in positions to handle larger roles and break out during their sophomore years.

Tre Singleton, a transfer from the Northwestern Wildcats, is expected to take over the role Jefferson held last season, which can lead to stellar production. Jaquan Johnson was dominant in the Missouri Valley Conference; if he gets close to replicating that in the Big 12, he will be in line for some accolades.

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