T.J. Otzelberger Not Worried About off Shooting Night From Iowa State Cyclones Star

An Iowa State Cyclones star struggled shooting the ball against the Creighton Bluejays in an exhibition. But, head coach T.J. Otzelberger isn't too worried about it.

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The Iowa State Cyclones' first game action of the 2025-26 men’s basketball season came against the Creighton Bluejays in an exhibition. Things didn’t go well for T.J. Otzelberger’s crew, who lost 71-58.

The final score isn’t truly indicative of how poorly Iowa State performed in some facets of the game. They trailed by as many as 28 points in the first half and were down by 23 at halftime, with Creighton doubling them 46-23.

Playing without star point guard Tamin Lipsey, a Preseason All-Big 12 Team selection, proved difficult. His presence was missed on both ends of the court. Facilitating was a struggle at times offensively, and his customary pressure defense at the point of attack was absent.

Freshman Killyan Toure drew rave reviews for his performance. He stepped into the starting point guard role and played well as the only starter with a positive plus/minus ratio. Otzelberger praised him afterward.

Milan Momcilovic has night to forget against Creighton

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Alas, filling the shoes of a star such as Lipsey is no easy task. Where he was likely missed the most was on offense. Generating easy looks was an obstacle that the team couldn’t overcome, leading to a brutal shooting night.

The Cyclones didn’t make a 3-pointer in the game, going 0-for-14. That almost certainly won’t happen again, especially because arguably their best shooter, Milan Momcilovic, went 0-for-7.

Despite the brutal display from long range, it isn’t something that Otzelberger is overly worried about for the team or his star forward.

"We know Milan. He makes shots. He makes hard shots, and, so, he's got to continue to stay aggressive. We're not going to worry about what it says on the stat sheet. We're going to say, 'Keep being aggressive.' We see him, all of us see him, day in and day out, we know what he can do,” the head coach said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required).

Confidence rightly not wavering in Milan Momcilovic

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Entering his third season with Iowa State, Momcilovic is someone the team will be counting on to increase his volume from behind the arc. He has done so in each of the first two years in Ames while improving his percentage as well.

As a freshman, he knocked down 35.9% of his 4.6 3-point attempts per game. Last campaign as a sophomore, he was up to 39.6% and 5.7 attempts.

A good goal for him this season should be making about three 3-pointers per game if his volume is around seven attempts. It was encouraging to see him continuing to let it fly against the Bluejays, not losing confidence despite the ball not going through the net.

His floor spacing, along with that of freshman Jamarion Batemon, will be key to the Iowa State offense flowing properly. Otzelberger is hoping Joshua Jefferson also shoots from long range with more volume, but he also went 0-for-2 and doesn’t look as comfortable on the perimeter, yet, as Momcilovic does.