Iowa State Cyclones' Star Snaps Out of Scoring Funk Against Utah Utes

Which player from the Iowa State Cyclones was able to shine in their recent win?

Feb 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger looks on during the game against the Utah Utes during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to get a needed victory on the road Tuesday night against the Utah Utes. In the win, a star player really performed well. 

Coming off a loss to the BYU Cougars on the road, it was important for the Cyclones to bounce back against the Utes. Utah is a team that has really struggled this year and is one of the worst teams in the conference. However, due to the road struggles of Iowa State this year, nothing could be taken for granted. 

In the win, Milan Momcilovic was able to break the single-season record for three-pointers, capping off what has been a great campaign for the junior. His development has been a major reason for the success of the program this year, but he hasn’t been alone. 

This is a team that has a really strong eight-man rotation and all the tools to make a run at a Final Four this season. However, one player in particular has been able to establish himself as the best on the team, and that is Joshua Jefferson. 

Following the win, head coach T.J. Otzelberger talked about the aggressiveness of Jefferson on the offensive end of the court to William Seals of On3. 

“Joshua drew six fouls again today, something that he’s just so good at, and he just puts pressure on the defense constantly.”

Jefferson Led the Way

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Even though he isn’t going to beat out Cameron Boozer of the Duke Blue Devils for National Player of the Year honors, it has been a great campaign for the senior forward. While Jefferson will be hoping to be a first-round pick now in the upcoming NBA draft, there is still a lot for him to accomplish with the Cyclones. 

In their most recent win against the Utes, the senior forward totaled 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists. After a few lackluster scoring games in a row, this was one of his best outings in the last couple of weeks. While Iowa State has a number of good scoring options, this was the first time since January 24th that Jefferson was able to reach the 20-point mark. 

It was very clear early on that the Utes’ defense was going to have a hard time defending him, and it was good that Jefferson recognized it and was aggressive. Getting to the free-throw line 10 times certainly made things easier for him, and it was one of the best offensive showings in a while. Hopefully, he will continue to keep up this offensive mindset going down the stretch for the Cyclones.