4 Things Iowa State Cyclones Fans Are Most Thankful for This Thanksgiving

The Iowa State Cyclones faithful have had a lot of great sporting events to watch in recent years. The football team and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have spent a lot of time in their respective Top 25 rankings.

Getting to watch such talented players on a regular basis isn’t something every fan base is afforded. It has led Cyclones followers to have a lot to be thankful for this year at Thanksgiving.

T.J. Otzelberger

The Iowa State men’s basketball team has experienced quite a turnaround since Otzelberger took over as head coach. The season before he came to the program, the Cyclones won only two games.

In the first four years he has led the squad, they have made the NCAA Tournament each time. He has done an incredible job of turning things around and constantly restocking the roster with high-end talent.

In Year 5, Iowa State looks well on its way to make it five straight tournament appearances. The team has gotten off to a 7-0 start, already defeating four Power Conference teams in the Mississippi State Bulldogs, St. John’s Red Storm, Creighton Bluejays and Syracuse Orange. Their Players Era Festival showing was incredible.

Tamin Lipsey is arguably the best player that Otzelberger and his staff have landed on the recruiting trail, and he will be passing the torch to Killyan Toure, who is making quite a name for himself early in his collegiate career.

Matt Campbell

Similar to Otzelberger with the men’s basketball team, Campbell has taken the football team to heights that haven’t been reached. Things haven’t gone exactly according to plan in 2025, but he has done a wonderful job of keeping the team motivated despite a lengthy losing streak.

If Iowa State can defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys in their regular season finale, it will give them eight wins. That has been done only 11 times previously in program history; Campbell has overseen four of them thus far.

He has also overseen their only double-digit win campaign, which came last season. Cyclones fans are certainly thankful for having their head coach and hoping that he makes it through another head coaching carousel cycle without receiving an offer that will tempt him enough to leave Ames.

Audi Crooks

There have been some truly dominant players in women’s college basketball in recent years. While not a mainstream superstar like some of he peers, Crooks has been an unstoppable force during her time in Ames.

She has been on the All-Big 12 First Team both seasons with the team. As a sophomore, she earned a spot on the All-American Third Team. This season, she was on the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watchlist.

More accolades and hardware are certainly in her future if she keeps up this level of performance. Crooks is averaging 25.9 points per game, making 75.8% of her shot attempts. After leading women’s college basketball with 820 points last season, she is pacing the sport again with 181 through seven games.

Defensive Effort

Marcus Neal Jr., Deon Broomfield — Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the old saying goes, defense wins championships. Cyclones fans are hoping that to be true because all of their main sports get it done on that side of the ball.

On the gridiron, Iowa State is giving up only 20.8 points per game, which is 33rd in the country. The women’s basketball team is giving up 50.3 points per game, which ranks 14th. Their defensive rating is an elite 68.7, putting them at 16th.

On the men’s side, Otzelberger’s group is turning opponents over at an insane rate. Entering their game against Syracuse, they were giving up 65.2 points per game; they gave up only 64 against the Orange.

With performances that strong defensively, good things are ahead for all of the squads.

T.J. Otzelberger

Matt Campbell

Audi Crooks

Defensive Effort

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