Subtle Offensive Change Has Iowa State Cyclones Back on Track

Since T.J. Otzelberger took over as head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones’ men’s basketball team, they have been known for their suffocating defensive performance.

Iowa State has showcased the ability to speed opponents up, leading to high turnover rates. They make their opponents work hard for shots, playing deep into the shot clock.

As long as they keep playing defense, they will have a chance to win games. But what separates this year’s Cyclones team heading into the NCAA tournament is their offensive ability.

In years past, Iowa State struggled at times to put the ball in the basket. That is no longer the case, and the team is a legitimate national title contender because of a subtle change that has been made on that end of the floor.

Iowa State increased pace to help get offense on track

Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise reacts after shot. — Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) reacts after a three-point shot against Houston during the first half in the3 Big-12 men’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Feb. 16, 2026, in Ames, Iowa | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After a blowout loss at the hands of the Arizona Wildcats, the team knew something had to change with their offensive game plan. The solution: speeding up their pace of play.

“We had a meeting after that Arizona game, when it just felt like everything was slow, when our offense wasn’t clicking like it did earlier in the year,” said sixth-year senior Nate Heise, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required). “And the way you see it show up is how we get the ball out of the net if they make it, or if we push it when they miss it.

Disappointingly, the outcome wasn’t any different in the rematch. After losing 73-57 in the first matchup, the Cyclones played the Wildcats to the final buzzer in the Big 12 tournament semifinals when Jaden Bradley knocked down a jump shot as time expired.

An emphasis was put on pushing the ball in the open court more, creating easy scoring opportunities in transition. Alas, basketball isn’t always played in the open court with free-flowing ball movement.

Iowa State needed to find better ways to execute in the halfcourt when the tempo slowed down. To accomplish that, they focused on setting screens with more authority to set their offensive sets in motion.

“(Screening) has been a real big emphasis for us the last couple weeks with Joshua, with really anybody, Killyan, me, myself,” Heise added. “And the way that screening gets other people open and that’s how we try to play as unselfish as we can. So, when we’re screening and we’re playing physical, I think those lead to good results.”

Heise has been lauded for his intangibles, possessing an ability to impact the game beyond the box score. It is easy to understand why the coaching staff trusts him so much based on those quotes; he is willing to do whatever the team needs to win games.

If the Cyclones are going to live up to the lofty expectations on them heading into the NCAA tournament, role players such as Heise must keep stepping up when their number is called.