Jamarion Batemon Shares Reported Decision on Iowa State Basketball Future

Jamarion Batemon has reportedly revealed his decision on whether or not to return to the Iowa State Cyclones.

Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon (1) drives with the ball to the basket around Colorado Buffaloes guard/forward Ian Inman (0) during the second half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 29, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones know that they will have some work to do with their roster this offseason.

There are five seniors who will not be returning: Joshua Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey, Nate Heise, Dominick Nelson and Eric Mulder. The future of Milan Momcilovic is up in the air as well since he declared for the 2026 NBA Draft.

There is still a chance that he returns, but anything can happen once the transfer portal opens on April 7. One veteran guard, Cade Kelderman, has already announced his intention to enter the portal.

Will there be any other Cyclones joining him? One player that T.J. Otzelberger can rest easier knowing he will be back for another year is Jamarion Batemon.

Jamarion Batemon reportedly coming back to Iowa State

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon (1) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

After the team lost to the Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, it was shared that several key rotation players were planning to return to Iowa State. Batemon was among them, and now another report has surfaced that solidifies that.

As shared by Sam Kayser of League Ready, Batemon informed him that he plans to return to the Cyclones for the 2026-27 season. The team’s highest-ranked recruit in the Class of 2025, this is a great outcome for the Cyclones.

Batemon’s freshman year didn’t start off the way many predicted it would. He was expected to play a huge role early, with many people predicting he would start alongside Lipsey in the backcourt.

Instead, that spot went to fellow freshman Killyan Toure. Batemon came off the bench and played sparingly in the beginning, being brought along slowly by Otzelberger, along with freshman big man Dominykas Pleta.

NEWS: Iowa State freshman Jamarion Batemon (@JamarionBatemon) plans to remain at Iowa State for the 2026-27 season, he told @LeagueRDY.

The 6-foot-3 guard out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin played in 37 games while averaging 6.6PPG and shooting 37% from 3-point range. pic.twitter.com/baEJIRnbL4

— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) April 6, 2026

It was a strategy that certainly seemed to work. As the season moved along, confidence in Batemon rose. From Feb. 14 on through the end of the season, a stretch of 13 games, he played at least 10 minutes in each contest, averaging 19.8 minutes per game.

His fearlessness on offense, a willingness to shoot to help stretch the defense, was a major reason he was receiving more minutes. Toure went through a major shooting slump, which led to Otzelberger leaning on Batemon a little more for an offensive punch.

For the season, the Milwaukee Academy of Science product averaged 6.6 points per game, making 37% of his 3-point attempts. Heading into Year 2 with Otzelberger, a true breakout campaign could be on the horizon.

There is certainly a chance Batemon is moved into the starting lineup to help replace the scoring punch lost by Jefferson and Lipsey moving on. If Momcilovic doesn’t return, it would not be a stretch to say Batemon is the best 3-point shooter on the team, which would lead to an increased role offensively.