Iowa State Cyclones' Senior Quickly Emerging as X-Factor This Season

Which player for the Iowa State Cyclones has emerged as their x-factor?

Feb 7, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) and Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) wait to celebrate with Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) after the basket in their game with the Baylor Bears during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones will be getting set for a big week coming up, with the schedule starting to get more difficult. However, despite their success, there is reason to believe that this team can be even better. 

Through 23 games, the Cyclones have one of the best records in the country at 21-2. The Big 12 has not disappointed with the Arizona Wildcats and Houston Cougars both being in the Top 5 of the AP Poll, along with Iowa State. 

While the conference has some elite teams and multiple Final Four contenders, they also have some impressive depth. For Iowa State, they certainly have been playing well of late with a five-game winning streak, and there is reason to believe that the team might be improving a bit with some new players stepping up. 

Recently, head coach T.J. Otzelberger spoke with William Seals of On3 about the performance of Nate Heise and how he is the x-factor that can take the team to the next level. 

“I mean, Nate takes us to an entirely different level. What I like the most is his aggressiveness, the tenacity, character, and toughness that he brings.” 

Heise Finding His Groove

Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

It has been no secret of late that the Cyclones are seeking to get more from Heise in the last few games, and he has been answering the call. The senior guard has a ton of experience and is finding his groove coming off the bench of late. 

Despite not being a factor on the offensive end in the win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys, that is the game that can be circled as one in which he started to play better. He totaled five rebounds and three assists in that one and has seemingly built momentum since then. 

He followed that performance up with arguably his best game of the campaign against the Colorado Buffaloes, in which he totaled eight points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Over his last three games, the scoring has bumped up a bit with 27 points combined. That extra production off the bench has certainly been nice and has paired well with his strong overall game. 

As Iowa State looks to continue to finish the regular season strong, Heise really does appear to be an x-factor for them off the bench. The senior guard is starting to provide them with some more scoring, which is always a nice thing to see. If he continues to play as he has, the sky is the limit for the Cyclones.