Iowa State Cyclones' Star Was Robbed of Winning Big 12 Player of the Year

Should a star of the Iowa State Cyclones have been the Big 12 Player of the Year?

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches the game from the bench during the second half in the Big-12 conference men’s basketball against Texas Tech on Feb. 28, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Iowa State Cyclones get set for the start of the Big 12 tournament soon, the conference recently announced some of the honors for the regular season. While the Cyclones were well-represented, they did see one player get robbed of an honor. 

Following a great regular season, Iowa State will be focused on trying to have a great postseason now, and that will start on Wednesday. However, when looking back at the regular season for the program, the Cyclones have to be really pleased with how it went. This was a team that exceeded their expectations and was at one point ranked second in the country. 

While they did struggle a bit on the road during conference play, they finished the regular season ranked in the Top 10 of the AP Poll and will be battling for a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, it was a strong showing.

Due to their success in the regular season, there were obviously quite a few players who performed well for them as well. One of those players was Joshua Jefferson. The senior forward was able to make the All-Big 12 first team but unfortunately did not come home with the Big 12 Player of the Year honors. That somewhat surprisingly went to Arizona Wildcats’ guard Jaden Bradley. 

Bradley a Surprise Choice

2025-26 #Big12MBB Player of the Year ⭐️

Jaden Bradley | @ArizonaMBB pic.twitter.com/DlBE7Hr60g

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) March 9, 2026

While there is no denying that the Wildcats had an amazing season and so did Bradley, it is shocking to see him being named the conference player of the year. The senior guard averaged 13.4 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. While it was an all-around strong year, his level of production doesn’t really compare to that of Jefferson. 

This season, the senior forward averaged 16.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. Statistically, he had a better year than Bradley across the board. What could have been the major difference is that Bradley was on the best team in the country and the leader of that squad. However, Jefferson certainly has a case to make that he was the best player in the conference over him. 

Bradley’s stats were very comparable to Tamin Lipsey, who, despite a strong year, was never going to be considered for the Big 12 Player of the Year. This decision is certainly a head-scratcher, even with the success of Arizona. Overall, Jefferson should feel like he got robbed of the award.