Since T.J. Otzelberger took over as head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, there has been one constant: they get after it on defense.
It is the clear-cut identity of the team, as the Cyclones are going to make life incredibly difficult on opponents looking to score the basketball. If players couldn’t do what Otzelberger and the staff were looking for on that end of the court, playing time would be tough to come by.
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Buy-in from the roster is why he has been able to turn things around so fast in Ames. Iowa State has made the NCAA tournament every year he has been at the helm, including his first season, when he took over a team that won only two games in the final year under Steve Prohm.
When an identity like that is established, it becomes easier to recruit, showing prospects your style of play works. And any high school player or person in the transfer portal who considers the Cyclones should expect to see more of the same during the 2026-27 campaign.
Iowa State predicted to have shutdown defense
Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger reacts in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Over at CBS Sports, Isaac Trotter put together different nuggets, including storylines and predictions for the upcoming campaign.
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One of the things he went over was the best projected defenses, and Iowa State claimed the top spot out of the 10 teams that were highlighted, including two Big 12 rivals, the Arizona Wildcats and Houston Cougars, and their in-state rivals the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Otzelberger once again has a versatile group that is going to cause havoc at every level of the court. The team lost point guard Tamin Lipsey, but has Killyan Toure ready to assume the point-of-attack role with Jaquan Johnson, a transfer from the Bradley Braves who was the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Iowa State has deep, versatile roster to play defense
Feb 28, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan (23) blocks the shot from Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Luke Bamgboye (9) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Up front, Blake Buchanan returns for a second year. His athleticism was the perfect fit in the aggressive, trapping style of defense Otzelberger deploys. Incoming freshman Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan gives them another rim-protecting option along with Dominykas Pleta and Taj Manning.
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On the wing, Nate Heise and Joshua Jefferson are replaced by Leon Bond III and Tre Singleton. Xzavion Mitchell could also factor into the mix after an injury-plagued freshman year.
That is a lot of depth for Otzelberger to mix and match with to find the right combination to make life difficult on opponents. Ryan Prather Jr. is another transfer who isn’t known for his defensive impact but has great size to deploy in the backcourt.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa-state as Iowa State Basketball Gets Lofty Prediction for Team Defense.
