Iowa State Cyclones See Early Positive Results With Unique Lineup Change

Will the Iowa State Cyclones continue to change their lineups to find new combinations?

Jan 29, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches his team play the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to win their fifth straight game on Saturday, but it didn’t come as easily as they likely would have hoped. 

During the last couple of weeks, the Cyclones have been able to jump out to quick leads in their games, and that resulted in some lopsided scores. To start their recent game against the Baylor Bears, the team didn’t get off to that hot start. 

This was a team that had been destroying opponents of late, but a sloppy start with some turnovers and some struggles on the defensive end had this one being a close game at halftime. Fortunately, the team was able to get it going in the second half with a nice stretch. 

During their strong stretch, a new lineup for the team might have emerged with Iowa State utilizing a different three-guard unit that worked out quite well and provided a nice spark. 

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger recently spoke with William Seals of On3 about a three-guard lineup that was successful for the Cyclones on Saturday. Furthermore, it appears to be something they might use going forward, some more. 

“Killyan has been all year, but Batemon played impactful, meaningful minutes down the stretch. So certainly, something that we continue to look into.”

Iowa State Has Excellent Guards

Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The guard play for the Cyclones has undoubtedly been a strength for the team for most of the year, and that will come in handy during March. Having a senior player like Tamin Lipsey at the position is key to the success of the team, with the talented guard always making good decisions and providing excellent leadership on the court. 

However, Iowa State does have a couple of talented freshmen who have also been performing well this year. While Killyan Toure has been a starter this year, Jamarion Batemon has also been seeing an increased role of late. 

In the win over the Bears, all three saw some time together on the court, and it worked out quite well for the team. With Toure’s size and defensive abilities, he can guard nearly anyone on the court, which helps make these types of lineups work. 

From an offensive standpoint, having the three guards out there together makes them dynamic, especially with Batemon coming into his own as a scorer. Overall, the Cyclones have been fairly consistent with an eight-man rotation this year. However, it is interesting to see some of the potential wrinkles that they might use with their lineups going forward.