Iowa State Basketball Star Has Concerning Trend of Struggles in Big Games

With the season coming to a close for the Iowa State Cyclones, there will be plenty of time for the program to reflect on what was a really solid season overall.

While the Cyclones might have had a great season, it did feel like it came to an end a bit prematurely. In their Sweet 16 matchup against the sixth-seeded Tennessee Volunteers, Iowa State was no match for the size of the Volunteers without their star Joshua Jefferson.

Unfortunately, the injury in the very beginning of the NCAA tournament to Jefferson proved to be too much to overcome. If their star was healthy, the game against Tennessee very well could have had a different outcome, considering how well he was performing.

However, while having Jefferson would have been good, another star for the team struggled in the Sweet 16 matchup, and that was Milan Momcilovic. While the talented shooter had a great season overall, he was nowhere to be found in the matchup against Tennessee, and the Cyclones didn’t have enough offensive production with him struggling to keep up.

Following the game, Momcilovic spoke about some of his frustrations following another bad performance in what ended up being his team’s final game of the season.

Momcilovic Struggling in Big Games

Milan Momcilovic:

“It’s a tough pill to swallow when the last three years I’ve kind of had a stinker. That always sticks with me. It’s tough.” pic.twitter.com/gJJ29543gq
— Ben Hutchens (@Ben_Hutchens_) March 28, 2026

For the third year in a row, the star shooter of the Cyclones has struggled in what ended up being the final game of the NCAA tournament for the team. As a freshman, his role wasn’t as big, but he totaled just one point in 22 minutes against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Sweet 16.

Last year against the Ole Miss Rebels, he totaled just five points on 2-for-12 shooting from the field in 34 minutes of action in the Round of 32. This season, the struggles unfortunately continued for him, going 2-for-9 from the field with just six points against Tennessee.

Considering the caliber of season that he had, the last game was certainly a tough pill to swallow. This was a player who was one of the best shooters in college basketball all year but didn’t showcase that when it mattered the most.

While his game has developed a bit over the last couple of years, a bulk of his value to the program comes from being able to score. Momcilovic will be testing the waters of the NBA with the right to return to Iowa State in the coming months, and with an uncertain draft grade, he very well could have another opportunity to prove himself in the NCAA tournament.