Star Freshman Reveals He's Excited To Get Things Started With Iowa State Cyclones

An Iowa State Cyclones freshman is excited about getting his Iowa State Cyclones career started.

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team is set to begin its 2025-26 season with its first exhibition game of the year against the Creighton Bluejays. It will be the first time some fans will get to see the new-look squad on the floor.

One of the players whom everyone is looking forward to seeing is Jamarion Batemon. A top 100 recruit in the Class of 2025, he is expected to play a prominent role in the rotation right out of the gate.

Many people have projected him to be a starter once the regular season begins, taking over the spot in the backcourt alongside Tamin Lipsey that was occupied by Keshon Gilbert last season. That could very well occur, but for the first exhibition game, he will be playing the Curtis Jones role.

Batemon is going to be coming off the bench in the preseason opener. Fellow freshman Killyan Toure will be starting in place of the injured Lipsey alongside sixth-year senior Nate Heise. Rounding out the starting five are Milan Momcilovic, Joshua Jefferson and Blake Buchanan.

Jamarion Batemon can't wait to get Iowa State season started

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Regardless of what his role is, the Milwaukee product cannot wait to get things started. He is excited to get on the court and start his career with the Cyclones.

"I'm definitely looking forward to it," Batemon said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network. "I'm really excited to play with this group. I feel like we complement each other well, and we also like being around each other. We connect very well. So, I feel like that's probably the thing I'm most excited for, is what we can do as a team."

Whether it is as a starter or coming off the bench as a spark plug, Batemon is going to be relied upon heavily during his freshman campaign. His shotmaking and scoring prowess will be counted on to help replace Jones and Gilbert, the team’s two leading scorers from last season.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger isn’t going to hold back when it comes to Batemon. He holds the Milwaukee Academy of Science product in high regard, mentioning him along with other highly-touted freshmen who have been with the program.

He has all of the qualities a head coach is looking for in a leader, both on the floor and off it. The valedictorian in his graduating class, Batemon is doing all the right things in the classroom, studying actuary science.

On the court, he is the first one finishing sprints and drills. He is a coach’s dream, setting an example for his teammates to follow and embodying the true meaning of being a student-athlete.