Joshua Jefferson Can Snap Iowa State Basketball Streak

Iowa State Cyclones star Joshua Jefferson looks like he has a legitimate chance of being selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Recent mock drafts have him landing in the first round, with the Boston Celtics being a popular landing spot at No. 27. Multiple outlets have mocked the Cyclones star to the Eastern Conference contenders, which is an encouraging thing to see.

Should Jefferson hear his name called during the draft, he will break an Iowa State streak that has existed since 2020. That year, Tyrese Haliburton was selected No. 12 by the Sacramento Kings.

He is the last Cyclones player to hear his name called at the NBA draft. Others, such as Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones, have appeared in NBA games since, but there hasn’t been an Iowa State player selected since Haliburton six years ago.

Joshua Jefferson poised to break Iowa State draft drought

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson talks to the media during a practice session. — Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Jefferson certainly has the best chance of being selected out of the Iowa State players who are eligible. But he may not be the only player to hear his name called, with point guard Tamin Lipsey beginning to pop up in some mock drafts as his successful pre-draft process unfolds.

It will be interesting to see whether snapping this five-year drought marks the start of something new in Ames. Not too long ago, they were sending players to the NBA with regularity.

From 2012 through 2020, there were eight Cyclones players selected in the NBA draft: Royce White, Justin Hamilton, Georges Niang, Abdul Nader, Monte Morris, Marial Shayok and Talen Horton-Tucker and Haliburton.

That put them amongst the top 20 in terms of players selected during that span. Iowa State was third in the Big 12, with only the Kansas Jayhawks and Texas Longhorns having more players selected into the league.

Joshua Jefferson has earned hearing name called at NBA draft

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) drives to the basket around Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts. — Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) drives to the basket around Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts (3) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

That is quite an impressive feat for a program that is often overlooked by casual college basketball fans. Head coach T.J. Otzelberger deserves a lot of credit for helping put the Cyclones back on the map and for helping develop his guys into professional-caliber players.

Jefferson, whenever he hears his name called, will be the first Otzelberger player to get selected in the NBA draft. It will not only be an exciting moment for the talented forward, but another jumping-off point for the program.

He wasn’t viewed as an NBA prospect when he transferred to Ames from the Saint Mary’s Gaels. The coaching staff did a wonderful job developing him, and through hard work, he thrust himself onto the radar of scouts and evaluators.

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