Three Takeaways From Iowa State Cyclones' Win Over Utah Utes

Here are three takeaways from the Iowa State Cyclones' win on Tuesday night.

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

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to get back in the win column on Tuesday night with a comfortable win over the Utah Utes. In the win, there were a few notable takeaways for the team.

The Cyclones were coming into Tuesday after a week in which they suffered a loss on the road and also a marquee win at home. Winning on the road has been a struggle for the team in conference play, with four losses away from Ames this year. 

Against the Utes, Iowa State was able to avoid a fifth loss on the road in a fairly comfortable fashion. Utah has struggled quite a bit this year in the Big 12, and this was a game the Cyclones were expected to win by a sizable margin. Fortunately, that ended up being the case. Here are three takeaways from the game. 

Lineup Change 

Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Right from the jump, Iowa State made a bit of a lineup change with freshman Dominykas Pleta going into the starting lineup at the center position. While the minutes for him didn’t increase dramatically, it did move Blake Buchanan to the bench.

In his new role, Buchanan was able to perform very well off the bench, totaling 10 points in 22 minutes of action. Going forward, it will be interesting to see if this is a move that T.J. Otzelberger elects to stick with. 

Batemon’s Role Increasing

Iowa State Cyclones guard Jamarion Batemon | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Jamarion Batemon has certainly been a player to watch of late for the Cyclones. The freshman has been starting to see his role increase over the past couple of weeks, and that has come with more confidence as well on the offensive end of the court. In the win, the guard totaled 13 points in 22 minutes. While he struggled a bit shooting the ball from beyond the arc, he was still efficient overall from the field. It is worth noting that Batemon played more than Killyan Toure in this game, and that will be something worth monitoring. 

Milan Makes History 

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coming into the game, the star forward for the Cyclones was presented with a golden opportunity to set the new single-season record for three-pointers. With just three needed to break the record, Milan Momcilovic was able to get the job done in the second half. It has been a fantastic season for arguably the best shooter in the country, and he will be looking to build on his new record in the coming weeks.