The Iowa Stat Cyclones have to replace two star players in their men's basketball lineup this season: forwards Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson.
Replicating their level of production is going to be virtually impossible for a single player to do. Momcilovic had arguably the best 3-point shooting season in men's college basketball history, while Jefferson was a do-it-all performer on offense.
However, in the system and scheme that head coach T.J. Otzelberger is running, Momcilovic is a lot easier to replace than Jefferson. He had more to his game than just shooting 3-pointers, showcasing a nice array of post and mid-range moves, but his main goal was spacing the floor.
The Cyclones have multiple players capable of shooting from long range, with Jamarion Batemon and Ryan Prather Jr. at the top of the list. However, figuring out who can do what Jefferson did will be the No. 1 priority for Otzelberger.
UIC's Elijah Crawford, left, and Mekhi Lowery, right, try to steal the ball from Bradley's Jaquan Johnson in the first half of their college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 at Carver Arena. The Braves fell to the Flames 85-70. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
It isn't as simple as saying Tre Singleton is presumably taking his spot in the starting lineup, so he will be solely responsible for replicating what Jefferson did. In due time, he could develop into that kind of player, given the similarities in their build and skill sets.
But what it means to replace Jefferson is to find players who can create shots offensively. The first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was their offensive hub; everyone played off him with his unique playmaking ability.
It will be interesting to see if the ball is put into the hands of big men Blake Buchanan and Dominykas Pleta more often to give opponents that look of running sets through frontcourt players. Singleton is going to receive plenty of opportunities as well, likely in similar actions to what Jefferson ran the last two years.
Tamin Lipsey , who is currently eligible for a fifth season, is a talented playmaker and is capable of leading the offense. But he isn't the threat to score the ball that Jefferson was, thriving more as a playmaker than scorer.
Jaquan Johnson, a transfer from the Bradley Braves, is used to having the ball in his hands with a 28.1% usage rate in 2025-26. He is certainly capable of addressing the shot creation void created by Jefferson's departure.
The player who could assume the biggest increase in shot creation responsibility is Killyan Toure . He was viewed as a rising star in men's college basketball, expected to take over for Lipsey as the lead ball-handler.
With the ball in his hands more, the assumption is that he is ready to take on a bigger role offensively after being a complementary player as a freshman. When he is healthy enough to return from his shoulder injury, he is going to have a huge role to play on both ends of the floor.
Replacing Jefferson with an individual player is going to be virtually impossible for Otzelberger. But he has some talented scorers who could create some gravity for teammates to play off of in a similar fashion.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa-state as Iowa State Has To Find Capable Joshua Jefferson Replacement .
