What Cade Kelderman Entering Transfer Portal Means for Iowa State Basketball

The Iowa State Cyclones knew that they would have some work to do with their roster this offseason with five seniors exhausting their eligibility.

Joshua Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey, Nate Heise, Eric Mulder and Dominick Nelson won’t be returning. Milan Momcilovic may not be back either as he entered his name into the 2026 NBA Draft and will evaluate his odds of being selected.

Now, head coach T.J. Otzelberger has another opening on his roster in the backcourt that will have to be addressed. That is because junior Cade Kelderman is going to be entering the transfer portal.

His decision was shared by Sam Kayser of League Ready on X. Hailing from Waukee, Wisconsin, he has spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career with the Cyclones, but will be looking for a new opportunity for the 2026-27 campaign.

Cade Kelderman entering transfer portal

Iowa State Cyclones guard Cade Kelderman driving against UCF Knights guard Zach Johnson. — Iowa State Cyclones guard Cade Kelderman (13) drives with the ball around UCF Knights guard Zach Johnson (24) during the second half in the Big-12 conference on Jan. 20, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Based on his numbers in three years with Iowa State, there are some people who may not believe losing Kelderman is a big deal. But he brought a lot to the program during his tenure with the team.

He was always ready to contribute whenever his number was called. Kelderman appeared in 45 games, averaging only 3.9 minutes per game. But he was an integral part of the team’s rotation down the stretch of the 2024-25 season when injuries hit.

Otzelberger called on him to play 18 minutes against the BYU Cougars in the 2025 Big 12 Tournament. In their Round of 64 game against the Lipscomb Bisons, he received 18 minutes of action again, this time helping the team to an 82-55 victory.

Those were two of the four times in his Cyclones career that Kelderman received double-digit minutes of playing time in a game. He also played 16 minutes against the Alcorn State Braves and 13 against the Houston Christian Huskies during his junior year.

NEWS: Iowa State guard Cade Kelderman has entered the transfer portal, a source told @LeagueRDY.

The 6-foot-1 junior out of Waukee, Iowa has played his entire three-year career at Iowa State. pic.twitter.com/050qqshuAT
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) April 5, 2026

His loss means Otzelberger is losing another experienced guard who knows how to play in his system. The team must find some backcourt players who can provide the team with good depth, capable of stepping up when the time arises.

With Kelderman moving on, that leaves Killyan Toure, Jamarion Batemon, Anthony Rise and Mason Williams currently on the roster in the backcourt.

That will assuredly change in the coming weeks. Otzelberger and his staff will hit the transfer portal in addition to guards who committed in the Class of 2026: Yusef Gray Jr. and Christian Wiggins.