T.J. Otzelberger Reveals How Bye Week Has Helped Iowa State Cyclones

How has the extra time off helped the Iowa State Cyclones?

Feb 1, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger look on during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team has been red hot over the last few weeks, responding as well as anyone could have hoped from their two-game losing streak.

They have won four games in a row by an average of 26.75 points per game. Every win has been by at least 13 points, while the UCF Knights, Colorado Buffaloes and Kansas State Wildcats were all defeated by at least 30 points.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger has to love the response from his team after tough outings on the road against the Kansas Jayhawks and Cincinnati Bearcats. He is probably disappointed that their bye week has come when it did because of how much positive momentum has been built.

However, it is never a bad time for a team to get some rest. He knows that and revealed how valuable the time off is for his squad.

T.J. Otzelberger shares importance of bye week

Feb 1, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger look at the scoreboard during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum. | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

“I think it’s important that we continue to balance, getting the guys’ bodies feeling great and then making sure we’re committing to our practice habits, doing the hard work. And I think this is a time of the year you really want to hit stride and continue to improve,” he said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required).

Players getting healthy and refreshed is important. The Cyclones will have played only four games from Jan. 20, when this winning streak started, heading into their matchup with the Baylor Bears on Feb. 7.

That is a stretch of four games played in 18 days. Starting with the game against Baylor on Feb. 7, they will play eight times through the end of the month in a 21-day span.

It is a gauntlet, with four of those games against teams currently ranked in the AP Poll Top 25: Kansas, the Houston Cougars, BYU Cougars and Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Cyclones will be challenged over next few weeks

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger calls a play during the first half against Colorado in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Jan. 29, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State will have to be on point to defeat such talented teams, and the extra time off has presented the Cyclones with a chance to clean up any issues with more practices.

“So, when you have extra time for practice, that’s great. And then it also gives the opportunity for certain individuals and to make sure you’re doing what you can mindfully for guys’ bodies to feel great as well. You talk about this time of the year being a time to really kind of leap forward and improve,” Otzelberger added.

With a 20-2 record, it certainly doesn’t look like there is much for Iowa State to improve upon. But the coaching staff definitely has areas they want to focus on and clean up, heading down the stretch of what they hope can be a championship-filled season.