What TJ Otzelberger Said About Kansas Ahead of Iowa State Rematch

When the Kansas Jayhawks and Iowa State Cyclones last met in January, TJ Otzelberger's squad was undefeated at 16-0 and facing an unranked opponent. Now, KU sits at No. 9 nationally, just four spots behind ISU in the rankings.

Since the Jayhawks unlocked something in that 21-point win over the Cyclones, they have added victories over three other top-15 teams, including No. 1 Arizona on Big Monday earlier this week. It has been one of the most impressive turnarounds of Bill Self's tenure at the university.

On Thursday, Otzelberger met with the media to preview his team's upcoming home clash. He discussed the difference between the Kansas team he faced last month and the one he will see in Hilton Coliseum tomorrow.

"Their confidence certainly has grown immensely," Otzelberger said. "I mean, at that point in time, they were still kind of trying to lock in on their identity, and you can tell they were practicing with great spirit because you could see it in the game. And they've been able to carry that forward to not lose a game in that stretch. So, their confidence is really high, they've obviously shown even when Peterson isn't out there how well they can play and how great a team that they are."

Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger on what stands out about #KUbball since last time they played.

“Their confidence has certainly grown immensely… They’ve obviously shown even when Peterson isn’t out there how great of a team they are.”

🎥: @CycloneAlert247 pic.twitter.com/W20wJRgtyT
— Sam Lance (@slancehoops) February 12, 2026

For someone who has always had the utmost respect for Coach Self and his program, Otzelberger's response is not very surpising. He has always been complimentary of Kansas and may be viewed as a candidate to be Self's successor one day.

Otzelberger's high praise extended to point guard Melvin Council Jr., KU's point guard. The fifth-year senior is coming off a 23-point, six-assist outing against UA, helping spearhead the second-half comeback.

ISU's head coach is well aware that with or without Darryn Peterson, the Jayhawks are a threat to take down his team at home. He should have his players much more prepared than they were last month during these two teams' first meeting, but will it be enough to end Self and Co.'s winning streak?

TJ Otzelberger — Jan 2, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches his team play the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Since taking over at the helm in Ames back in 2021, Otzelberger has coached his group to a 3-6 record against Kansas. All three of those wins have come in the past three years inside Hilton Coliseum, a streak KU is looking to end tomorrow afternoon.

Whether or not Peterson plays will be the biggest storyline heading into the contest. Regardless, his supporting cast has shown it is capable with competing with elite teams without him on the floor.