Work Remains for Iowa State Cyclones To Get to T.J. Otzelberger's Defensive Standard

T.J. Otzelberger led teams get after it defensively. The 2025-26 Iowa State Cyclones have some work to do to get to the level his teams normally operate at.

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Under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, the Iowa State Cyclones have established a reputation and identity centered on their defense. They are going to get after it on that end of the court, annually ranking near the top of the country in defensive rating.

That is the expectation again entering the 2025-26 campaign. The Cyclones are projected by KenPom to have the No. 2 defensive rating in the nation, behind only their Big 12 rivals, the Houston Cougars.

An important piece of the puzzle to that defensive scheme is point guard Tamin Lipsey. A Preseason All-Big 12 Team selection and two-time All-Big 12 Defensive Team pick, he is the best point of attack defender in men’s college basketball.

Recovering from a knee strain suffered a few weeks ago, he was unable to take the court for the team’s exhibition against the Creighton Bluejays. His presence was missed on both ends of the floor, but defensively in the first half, it wasn’t pretty.

Iowa State struggles defensively out of gate against Creighton

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Iowa State trailed by as many as 28 points, entering the locker room at halftime with its score being doubled. The Bluejays held a commanding 46-23 lead, leaving a lot to be desired for their head coach.

"We did not dictate, like we do every single day in practice," Otzelberger said of the Cyclones’ performance on defense in the first half, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "We were a step off. We were a step back defensively. So, they were able to get some dribble handoffs and some weaves and some ball movement. We didn't do a good enough job getting into the basketball, so they had great space and pockets."

Alas, it was a tale of two halves for Iowa State when it came to playing defense. They looked like a totally different squad coming out of the locker room for the second half.

After forcing only one turnover in the first half, the Cyclones ratcheted up the pressure and forced 10 in the second half, seven of which came via steals. Getting into the open court and playing offense against a Creighton defense that wasn’t fully set enabled Iowa State to claw back into the game.

Iowa State settles into defensive groove in second half

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They were able to cut the lead down to as little as eight points and won the second half 35-25. That is more like the kind of defense Otzelberger is expecting from his team.

"Obviously, clear to see the second half is who we are from an identity standpoint," Otzelberger said. "We want to be disruptive. We want to turn people over. We did that at times, but I felt like we did a better job disrupting rhythm in that second half."

Not having Lipsey in the mix is certainly a huge void. He sets the tone for his teammates on both ends of the court, and not having your leader will lead to some ebbs and flows in performance that won’t occur when he is in the lineup.

But this is a valuable learning experience for a freshman, such as Killyan Toure, who stepped into the starting lineup in place of Lipsey. He performed incredibly well, which improves the team’s outlook, knowing he can handle things on the court despite his lack of collegiate experience.