T.J. Otzelberger Has Helped Iowa State Separate From Opponents in This Key Area

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger has done a great job creating an edge for his team at key stages of the game.

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger calls a play during the second half against Long Beach State in the NCAA men’s basketball on Dec. 21, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025-26 Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team has put itself in the running as the best in program history.

Their performance on the court has surpassed that of any previous squad to this point. They are 16-0, which is both the best start and longest winning streak at any point in the season by a men’s basketball team in Iowa State history.

No matter who they have matched up against, they have gotten the job done. 14 of their 16 wins have come by double-digits, including arguably the best victory any team has had this season when they went on the road to Mackey Arena and defeated the then-No. 1-ranked Purdue Boilermakers by 23 points.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger has transformed what was a downtrodden program into a perennial contender. The season before he took over, the Cyclones went 2-22. Since he has been at the helm, Iowa State has made the NCAA tournament four years in a row and is well on its way to making it five.

T.J. Otzelberger consistently sets Iowa State up for success

Jan 10, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger talks to Iowa State Cyclones forward Dominykas Pleta (21) during their game with the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

He has pushed all the right buttons this season, getting the most out of a very talented roster. Lineups have been mixed and matched to perfection, finding the players to fit their scheme perfectly.

The team has bought into what Otzelberger wants, and the results speak for themselves. Where he has really set himself apart from the competition is coming out of halftime, making the necessary tweaks to get his team over the hump.

As shared by Jake Brend of Cyclone Fanatic, the Cyclones have found a real edge coming out of halftime with renewed intensity. No matter what happened in the first half, Otzelberger has consistently found ways to get his team in a position to succeed coming out of the locker room.

In Iowa State's eight games against P5 competiton, they've outscored their opponents 102-53 between halftime and the under-16 media timeout.

T.J. Otzelberger talks about the success of his team's halftime adjustments. pic.twitter.com/s6KxSbhJxb

— Jake Brend (@JakeBrendTV) January 12, 2026

In eight games against Power Conference competition, Iowa State has outscored its opponents 102-53 between halftime and the under-16 timeout. That is essentially one full game worth of playing time, and they have whalloped opponents by 49 points.

There have been several instances where the Cyclones entered halftime in a close game, such as against the Syracuse Orange, or trailing, as they were against the Iowa Hawkeyes. They have turned things in their favor rapidly at the start of the second half, thanks to adjustments made by Otzelberger.

He has done a great job taking the pulse of his team each time they take the court. They have settled into a nice rotation during Big 12 play, and everyone is accepting of their role, leading to a ton of success on the court.