Iowa State Cyclones' T.J. Otzelberger Highlighted This Key Area to Improve

What area did the head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones want to see improvement in?

Dec 11, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches his team play the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to secure their 11th win of the season on Sunday, but it wasn’t their best effort in the win. 

On Sunday, the Cyclones knew that they were going to have a reasonably easy matchup against the Eastern Illinois Panthers. As one of the worst teams in college basketball, Iowa State was a massive favorite in this game, but it was far from their best performance. 

The Cyclones came away with a 78-53 win, but it certainly could have been more lopsided than that. Perhaps after playing the Purdue Boilermakers and a tight game against their rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State might have been a bit off in this one. 

Despite the win and keeping the undefeated season going, head coach T.J. Otzelberger wasn’t thrilled with how the team performed. With expectations now being through the roof for the program, this game was a good teachable moment for Iowa State. Otzelberger highlighted the lack of effort in the win and expects more from the team. 

"From an effort, playing as hard as we can possibly play standpoint, that wasn't our best," Otzelberger said to Alec Busse of 247Sports. 

Cyclones Should Have Been Better

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Even though the team was able to come away with a win, seeing their effort be called into question is never ideal. While they were coming off a hard-fought victory against their rival, this game was a letdown for the program despite it being a 25-point win. 

If Iowa State were playing a better opponent, the level of effort they provided likely would have resulted in a loss. In the win, it was a well-balanced attack offensively with Milan Momcilovic leading the way with 18 points. 

Unfortunately, while it might have been a well-balanced attack, the team did not shoot well from beyond the arc in this one. Three-point shooting is always key in college basketball, and Iowa State is lucky that they were able to win despite shooting just 17 percent from beyond the arc. Against most other opponents, that likely won’t get the job done. 

Even though the effort might not have been there from the start, this still ended up being a 25-point win for the program. Going forward, they should be able to look back at this game and realize that they can’t be sleepwalking through the start of a game, even against a lesser opponent.