T.J. Otzelberger Has Bold Plan for Iowa State Basketball Transfers

This offseason was a busy one for Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the program, agreeing to a 10-year extension to remain with the school. That will aid when recruiting so that players know Otzelberger is going to be there for the long haul.

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Alas, there was an overhaul on the coaching staff under him and on the roster. Two assistants, JR Blount and Kyle Green, departed for head coaching positions with the San Diego Toreros and Northern Iowa Panthers.

Four players from the rotation, Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic and Nate Heise, aren’t returning. Cade Kelderman, Dominick Nelson and Mason Williams also entered the transfer portal, leaving a lot of minutes and production to be replaced on the roster.

T.J. Otzelberger plans on using all transfer in rotation

Mar 26, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger speaks ahead of the Midwest regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Otzelberger hit the transfer portal hard, bringing in Jaquan Johnson, Taj Manning, Tre Singleton, Leon Bond III and Ryan Prather Jr. That is five players for seemingly four spots, so finding minutes could be a challenge.

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However, while speaking to the media at the Cyclone Tailgate Tour, the head coach revealed his plans for the transfers: all of them are going to be in the rotation.

“So, all five guys, to me, will be guys part of our rotation. When you bring in transfers, you want to have an opportunity that they’re looking for, and we feel great that all those guys line up in one line,” Otzelberger said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required).

There is going to be some intense competition for minutes during the offseason and training camp. The Cyclones have Killyan Toure, Jamarion Batemon, Blake Buchanan and Dominykas Pleta returning after playing significant roles during the 2025-26 season.

With a year of…

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Publish date : 2026-05-20 00:00:00

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