Iowa State Basketball Lands Impact Player From Northwestern in Transfer Portal

Following a disappointing end to the season for the Iowa State Cyclones, the team has come out red hot this spring to bring in some new faces.

It was a fantastic year for the Cyclones during the 2025-26 campaign. This was a team that was a number two seed in the NCAA tournament and had some marquee wins against really good opponents.

Iowa State seemed like they finally had all of the pieces in place to put together a long run in March, but an injury to Joshua Jefferson derailed that. Losing their star in the opening minutes of their first game of the tournament was a brutal blow, and Iowa State was eventually defeated in the Sweet 16.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger has been able to build a really strong program since arriving in Ames, and coming into the offseason, he knew it could be a challenge. With key players like Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey, and Nate Heise leaving, adding some players in the transfer portal was going to be key.

NEWS: Northwestern transfer forward Tre Singleton has committed to Iowa State, he told @On3.

The 6-8 freshman and former 4⭐️ recruit averaged 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season.https://t.co/P2CLLLO2iq pic.twitter.com/3v95UtMLUL
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 12, 2026

So far, the Cyclones and Otzelberger have done an incredible job adding talent, and Iowa State has an impressive roster as of now. Recently, they were able to add their fourth player in the portal with transfer Tre Singleton coming over from Northwestern.

Singleton Could Help Replace Jefferson

Northwestern Wildcats forward Tre Singleton grabbing the ball — Northwestern Wildcats forward Tre Singleton | David Banks-Imagn Images

Following a strong freshman campaign with Northwestern, Singleton was seeking new opportunities for next season and ultimately decided to come to the Cyclones. The 6’8” forward has a very similar build to Jefferson and could be the logical replacement for him at the power forward spot.

Last year, he started in 31 out of 34 games, which is a strong number for first-year players. He was able to average 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 25 minutes per game. While his numbers statistically don’t compare to what Jefferson was able to do in his senior season, there is reason to believe that he will be able to improve quite a bit.

The forward has the ability to do a little bit of everything well, including passing the ball. That was a major strength of Jefferson’s game last year, and Singleton is comfortable as well, setting up teammates.

With four new players coming in the portal for the Cyclones and a few key ones like Killyan Toure staying, the roster is looking really strong heading into next season. Now, all eyes will be on what the future will hold for Milan Momcilovic, which will have an impact on the program either way.