Iowa State Cyclones Have Seen Steady Decline in This Key Area

What area has become a problem for the Iowa State Cyclones of late?

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) goes for a layup between Kansas Jayhawks guard Kohl Rosario (7) and forward Bryson Tiller (15) during the second half in the Big-12 conference basketball showdown on Feb. 14, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have fallen into a bit of a rut of late, with the season coming to an end. Unfortunately, their struggles in a key area are rather clear. 

So far this season, there has been a ton to like about how the Cyclones have performed. This is a team that, despite some struggles of late, has exceeded expectations and has been a top team in the country at times. 

Iowa State has seen themselves as high as number two in the AP Poll, and they are currently sitting at ninth. There is one more game for them in the regular season before the Big 12 tournament starts against the Arizona State Sun Devils. This is going to be a favorable game for them to bounce back from a loss to the Arizona Wildcats on Big Monday. 

In the last seven games, the Cyclones have been defeated in four of them, which includes three losses on the road and their lone loss at home this season. One of the reasons for the success early on was the performance of their offense. Unfortunately, over the span of the last 10 games, this is a unit that has not been nearly as efficient, and they have a couple of key players struggling. 

Offensive Production Has Slipped

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Iowa State is a team that is built on playing good defense, creating turnovers, and getting after extra opportunities on the offensive glass. However, it was the performance of their offense and their ability to score that has helped take them to new levels this year. 

Players like Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic got off to great starts this year and helped propel the team to where they are today. Unfortunately, there has been a bit of regression of late across the board. 

Some of it could very well be due to the long season and the tough travel, but it is fair to be concerned. According to Torvik, the Cyclones’ efficiency has dropped to 121.3 in the last 10 games, which ranks them 46th in the nation. It has unfortunately been a bit of a steady decline since the hot start for the team, and offensive production is a reason to be worried. 

If Iowa State is going to reach the Final Four, this unit will have to be better. While the team always seems to bring it defensively, they have to do a better job of putting the ball in the basket.