T.J. Otzelberger Issues Challenge to Iowa State Cyclones Veteran To Reach Next Level

T.J. Otzelberger is always looking to bring the most out of his players. That is why he has issued a specific challenge to one of his veterans.

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Opening night is rapidly approaching for the Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team. They will kick things off on Nov. 3 against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Hilton Coliseum.

Before that, they will have played two exhibition games. One is already in the books, a 71-58 loss to the Creighton Bluejays in Omaha. It was a mixed bag with plenty of things to work on, but a few bright spots, such as freshman guard Killyan Toure.

One of the players who drew attention from head coach T.J. Otzelberger, but not in an overly positive way, was veteran guard Nate Heise. He went 2-for-4 from the field against Creighton but didn’t record any other statistic in the scorebook.

He is in his second season in Ames, one of several holdovers from last year’s talented squad. Asserting himself on offense and playing with more aggression is something the Cyclones need from their sixth-year guard. 

T.J. Otzelberger issues challenge to Nate Heise

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However, it isn’t only on offense that Heise is being challenged by the coaching staff. They know there is another level that he can take his performance to on the defensive end of the ball.

While speaking at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Media Days, Otzelberger called out Heise during his press conference. It was certainly an effort to light a fire under a player; he knows the team needs the shooting guard to be playing at a high level to succeed.

"The step for him is not even as much offensively. The step is to bring that mentality," Otzelberger said via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "We talk about him being our defensive captain, our defensive leader. And, I think for Nate, when he comes out and he's physical and aggressive, taking the fight to the other team, that will permeate with the other guys. That will resonate with them."

Heise is someone that the head coach mentioned as possibly being a captain a few weeks ago at Iowa State’s media day. He is someone the coaching staff values and thinks highly of, and it is easy to see why.

"Since we've started in the fall, Nate Heise's winning habits have been at the top of our team."

Sixth-year senior Nate Heise had an up-and-down summer but after a tough conversation with T.J. Otzelberger, he's become a guy that "has to be on the court." pic.twitter.com/5vbx79hyuu

— Cyclone Fanatic (@cyclonefanatic) October 15, 2025

The tools are there for him to become an impactful contributor. At the very least, he can be counted on as a 3-and-D contributor. His 3-point shooting really came along down the stretch of the 2024-25 campaign, and as Otzelberger has pointed out, he has the capability of being a great defender.

If the coaching staff can successfully get Heise to buy in and unlock that aggressive nature, his production on the court is going to skyrocket.

As the most experienced player on the roster, he has a responsibility to set the tone for some of the younger guys learning the ropes of college basketball. That is one of several factors that will go into his potential captaincy.