Incoming Transfer Could Provide Value in Multiple Ways for Iowa State Basketball

Which transfer could make an impact for the Iowa State Cyclones this coming season?

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger addresses the media after a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Tennessee State Tigers at Enterprise Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off a busy offseason in which they made a lot of changes to the roster. With a plethora of new transfers coming in, how the team will look should be interesting to see for next season. 

Coming off a special year for the program, the Cyclones will be hungry to be even better this coming campaign. However, after losing Joshua Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic, and Nat Heise, head coach T.J. Otzelberger knew that they would have to be aggressive in the transfer portal. 

Otzelberger was certainly able to accomplish that with five new players coming in. While it might take some time to gel, the depth of Iowa State looks impressive on paper. 

Of the new players that are coming in, it will be interesting to see the roles that they end up carving out for themselves. One of the players that could see a significant role on the team is Leon Bond III. The 6’5” wing player brings a lot of athleticism to the table and is also someone who has been improving over the course of his college career. 

Bond recently spoke with William Seals of On3 and highlighted what he is going to be able to bring to the table for the Cyclones this coming season. 

“I feel like I bring athleticism, of course,” he said. “I feel like I bring defensive versatility. Offensively, I bring a little bit of everything. I’m a Swiss army knife.” 

Bond Will Be Valuable Piece

Northern Iowa's Leon Bond III (35) drives the ball into the paint against Drake’s Eli Shetlar (10) on March 1, 2026, at the Knapp Center in Des Moines. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After coming off the bench for the Virginia Cavaliers as a freshman, Bond transferred to Northern Iowa, where he saw an increased role and also developed as a player over the last two years. 

As a junior, he averaged 11.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. With a field goal percentage of 47.3 and a three-point percentage of 36.2, Bond was a pretty efficient player on the offensive end of the court. 

As he prepares to play for Iowa State, there is a lot to like about his game and what he will bring to the table. With his size and athleticism, he is going to fit in really nicely on the defensive end of the court for the Cyclones. 

Being able to switch on defense is key for Iowa State, and Bond is the caliber of player who can guard multiple positions. Overall, as a player who has been improving, he should see a nice role for himself with Iowa State next season.