Next 3 Games Are Key for Iowa State Basketball To Get Going

The Iowa State Cyclones have a chance to get things sorted before competition rises in the Players Era Festival.

Iowa State men’s basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger speaks with the media during the university’s men’s basketball media day at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. (Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune, USA TODAY Network) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The first game of the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season did not go according to plan for the Iowa State Cyclones.

They got the season started with a neutral-site game at the Sanford Pentagon for the second straight year. Last year, they dominated the Mississippi State Bulldogs; this time around, they weren’t able to get past the Memphis Tigers, losing 80-76.

While a 0-1 start isn’t what anyone wanted, it is too early for anyone to be sounding the alarm, especially since the Cyclones are without one of their key contributors, Killyan Toure. Until he is back in the lineup, Iowa State won’t reach its full potential.

But until he does return, there are things that the team has to iron out. After facing a Memphis team that has NCAA tournament aspirations in the opener, things get much easier for Iowa State ahead of their trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival.

Iowa State needs to take advantage of soft schedule

Iowa State University guard Tamin Lipsey (3) talks to the media during the university's men's basketball media day at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. (Credit: Nirmalendu Majumdar, Ames Tribune/USA Today Network). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Before embarking on that trip, they will play three games at Hilton Coliseum, starting with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Nov. 6. After that, they host the Southern University Jaguars and Niagara Purple Eagles.

Expected to be a sizable favorite in all three contests, this is a golden opportunity for head coach T.J. Otzelberger to tinker with his lineup combinations, finding the right mix of players to get the best results on the floor.

He used a three-guard lineup with Tamin Lipsey, Jaquan Johnson and Jamarion Batemon in the season opener. As shared by Jake Ferguson of Cyclone Report, Otzelberger hinted that a change could be coming, mentioning Leon Bond III and Taj Manning as players who could see expanded roles.

Ryan Prather Jr., the team’s leading scorer with 19 points against the Tigers, could see an increase in responsibility as well. He would provide the backcourt with more size and is arguably the team’s best 3-point shooter.

📹Media Availability

T.J. Otzelberger talks Southern Miss#Cyclones | #C5Chttps://t.co/8bidaYZJy6

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) November 5, 2026

Defining roles for players over the next three games will be key. Guys can get more comfortable knowing what is expected of them on the court and the amount of playing time they are going to receive on a given night.

While figuring out rotations is important, what Otzelberger will really focus on is his team’s defense. Getting back to basics was a point of emphasis this week in practice, as their on-ball defense and switching against Memphis were not crisp.

This team doesn’t have offensive stars like last season’s squad to rely on. That means how they perform on defense is even more important, as they need to get back to their bread and butter to spearhead the bounce-back from a disappointing opener.