T.J. Otzelberger Praises Iowa State Cyclones Freshman Settling Into Role

An Iowa State Cyclones freshman has received some praise from head coach T.J. Otzelberger.

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger calls a play during the second half against Oklahoma State in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 10, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A two-game losing streak had some people concerned about the long-term outlook of the Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team.

However, those concerns have been erased by how well the team has looked in their subsequent two games. Against the UCF Knights at Hilton Coliseum, the Cyclones picked up a dominant 87-57 victory.

This weekend, they were on the road, looking to snap their losing streak away from Ames. They were successful in that regard, defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys 84-71 in Stillwater for their 18th win of the season.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger certainly won’t be thrilled about the tale of two halves that unfolded. Iowa State dominated out of the gate, heading into halftime with a 51-21 lead. But, they weren’t the same team coming out of the locker room, losing the second half 50-33.

Dominykas Pleta draws praise from T.J. Otzelberger

Jan 2, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Dominykas Pleta (21) is defended by West Virginia Mountaineers forward DJ Thomas (5) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

That will assuredly be a point of emphasis in practice and meetings this week, having to play a complete game. However, there were a few positives to take away from the matchup with the Cowboys, such as the performance of Dominykas Pleta.

The freshman big man has been a fringe rotation player for the Cyclones this season, but confidence in him is growing. He made his impact felt against Oklahoma State and drew praise from his head coach.

"He can give us some great screening, some physicality on the offensive glass, sealing guys around the basket," Otzelberger said of Pleta, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network. "He's got really good hands and he can score the ball."

His numbers don’t jump off the page, scoring only two points with two rebounds in 10 minutes. But, he is starting to impact winning, something the head coach has mentioned in reference to Nate Heise, another member of the bench.

Großer Eintauchen! #Cyclones | #C5C | @dpleta_ pic.twitter.com/aEeDCcvLRk

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 24, 2026

The German big man is settling into his role, bringing physicality to the court every time that he checks in. He looks more and more comfortable each time his number is called, playing double digit number of minutes in back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 26 through Dec. 29, a stretch of five consecutive games.

That is a streak that should continue as the Cyclones get deeper into their Big 12 schedule. He has been incredibly efficient offensively, making 71.1% of his attempts, albeit on low volume.

Stat sheet stuffing is likely to occur for him during his freshman campaign, but as long as he continues having a positive impact on winning, his role will continue to solidify.