Iowa State Cyclones Should Be Concerned Following Second Straight Loss

Is it time to be concerned following a second straight loss for the Iowa State Cyclones?

Jan 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger answers questions from the media after his team’s game against Cincinnati Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones came into Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bearcats looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season against the Kansas Jayhawks. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. 

Despite it being a good opportunity for the Cyclones to bounce back on Saturday, the team suffered their second straight loss. Coming into the game, the Bearcats weren’t playing great basketball, but they put together a strong offensive performance and were able to knock off Iowa State. 

This is a signature win for Cincinnati and one that they needed to get to keep some hopes alive for their season. For the Cyclones, a second straight loss in the Big 12 is far from ideal. This has undoubtedly been the worst week of the season for them, and it is going to knock them down in the rankings quite a bit. 

In the nine-point loss, there were some bright spots, but it was essentially a disappointing game, especially on the defensive end. With back-to-back losses, the program must be concerned about how they played this week. 

Second Straight Loss is Concerning

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

A second straight loss after starting the year 16-0 is a bit puzzling, especially against the Bearcats. While the loss to an underperforming Kansas team is a bit understandable, losing to Cincinnati is a bit harder to figure out. This was a team that wasn’t playing well and had a terribly ranked offense in terms of efficiency. 

However, they were able to score 79 points on Iowa State, which is one of the best defensive teams in the country. The Bearcats were able to take 18 more shots than Iowa State in this game, and while they didn’t shoot it overly great from three-point range, they made more than the Cyclones did from beyond the arc. Cincinnati did a nice job of getting some extra possessions, and it is hard to win a game when the opponent is outshot by that many shots. 

Even though the team may have lost, it was an impressive showing for Milan Momcilovic in this game. Coming off a couple of sub-par games of late, he was a massive bright spot with 34 points on nine-for-18 shooting from the field, which included eight three-pointers made. 

Playing on the road has been a bit of an issue for the Cyclones so far in Big 12 play, and they will be happy to be back at home for their next game against the UCF Knights. Hopefully, they will be able to snap the losing streak with a road win.