Recent Transfer Out Is Valuable Lesson for Iowa State Basketball

A recent transfer leaving the Iowa State Cyclones taught the program a good lesson.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Dominick Nelson (11) and Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

In the new age of college basketball, a lot of team success comes from doing well in the transfer portal, something Iowa State has been good at.

The national champion Michigan Wolverines had all five starters come from the transfer portal, proving that it’s a tool many teams must use to be successful in the new era of the sport.

The Cyclones have somewhat taken a similar path. While not all of their players have come from the portal, it’s clear that T.J. Otzelberger and the staff have put an emphasis on making sure they can bring in proven talent from other programs. Now, they face another portal season with some tough decisions ahead of them.

Typically, the portal is supposed to be a tool where players use it to transfer either up or down, finding the perfect fit for themselves. Unfortunately for Iowa State, though, it didn’t go their way with one specific transfer last season.

Dominick Nelson seeking extra eligiblity in transfer portal

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Dominick Nelson (11) brings the ball upcourt against the Tennessee State Tigers during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Coming out of high school, Dominick Nelson was essentially a no-name. A good basketball player in the state of North Carolina, but unfortunately, no Division I programs looked at him.

He eventually decided to attend Polk State, a junior college, instead. After two great years there, he finally got his chance as a part of the Utah Valley Wolverines. And he went off.

Nelson was the best player on the Wolverines, averaging 14.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. He led Utah Valley to a great season and was the WAC Player of the Year. After the season, he decided to enter the portal to transfer up.

Nelson was a highly ranked player in the portal, and many teams were interested. He decided to choose the Cyclones, with hopes of becoming a top player.

Nelson is cautionary tale for Cyclones in transfer portal

Iowa State Cyclones guard Dominick Nelson (11) goes for a layup around Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Parsa Fallah (22) during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 10, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned. Nelson was a decent player off the bench, but became the ninth man on the roster and was even taken out of the rotation after non-conference play. Now, he enters the portal once again.

This is a great lesson to learn for both parties. For Iowa State, sometimes, grabbing a star from a mid-major isn’t the right option. And for Nelson, it’s not always worth it to leave your squad.

The Cyclones need to learn from this as they currently look at the portal. The Cyclones are in need of a star and need to make sure that they find the right guy for them.

It’s going to be a tough search, but one they must succeed in if they want a chance at being a national contender next season.