The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team lost a lot of star power from their 2026-27 squad that advanced to the Sweet 16.
Joshua Jefferson, their best all-around player, was selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. Milan Momcilovic, who had a historic 3-point shooting season, transferred to the Kentucky Wildcats.
Point guard Tamin Lipsey is back for one more season, which will raise the ceiling of the team. But what could really separate this season's Cyclones team from those in years past under T.J. Otzelberger is the overall depth.
Iowa State brought in five players from the transfer portal who are all expected to play a role: Jaquan Johnson , Leon Bond III, Tre Singleton, Ryan Prather Jr. and Taj Manning . Two guards, a wing and two big men.
Oct 20, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger interviews during the Big 12 Media Days event at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Otzelberger expects all of them to be in a rotation that includes five returning players: Lipsey, Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan, Dominykas Pleta and Jamarion Batemon. When Toure recovers from his shoulder injury, he will be in the starting backcourt alongside Lipsey. Buchanan is the starting center again and Batemon looks like he will be part of the starting lineup as well.
For now, Johnson looks to be taking Toure's spot in the lineup. That leaves the Cyclones a bit undersized, but Otzelberger looks committed to a three-guard starting lineup with Batemon entrenched in the shooter spot vacated by Momcilovic.
That means a lot of experienced players on the second unit, which gives Iowa State one of the best bench units in the country. As shared by Matthew Winick and his projections, the Cyclones are tied for the No. 3 bench in men's college basketball with the Illinois Fighting Illini and Texas Tech Red Raiders, with a 177 bench score.
The only teams ahead of them are the Duke Blue Devils, with a 182 bench score, and the Arkansas Razorbacks, with a 178 bench score.
Johnson, a transfer from the Bradley Braves, is the best bench player on the team. Their numbers are going to be skewed a little bit because he will start until Toure returns to the mix, but this is still a deep and talented group that Otzelberger has.
He is going to be able to match whatever style of play their opponents deploy given the depth at his disposal. Pleta, Manning and freshman Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan provide an interior presence on the boards and protect the rim.
Offensive punch will be provided by Prather Jr., who is an excellent shooter and takes care of the ball. Bond looks like the perfect replacement for what Nate Heise provided, but in a bigger, longer frame.
When at full strength, this is a lineup that can easily go 10-deep every night. That will help keep the team fresh during a grueling season in the Big 12.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa-state as Iowa State Basketball Depth Will Be Strength for Team .
