With the bustling activity in the college basketball spring transfer portal window, the Iowa State basketball program and head coach TJ Otzelberger had some key departures to the transfer market to replace this offseason.
Five Iowa State players, including a handful of key contributors and starters in the frontcourt, entered the spring transfer portal window from the Cyclones. Otzelberger and the Cyclones replaced many departed players in the spring portal with key experienced and intriguing transfer players who can impact the whole rotation immediately going into the 2025-26 season in college hoops.
Nojus Indrusaitis, G
Former four-star shooting guard recruit from Chicago, IL, in the 2024 class, freshman Nojus Indrusaitis played 15 games and averaged just over five minutes per game off the bench for the Cyclones this past season in the Big 12.
Indrusaitis was a contributor to the backcourt rotation for the Cyclones early this past regular season, playing double-digit minutes off the bench in four of the season's first six games. But his minutes dwindled late in the regular season and in the postseason.
Committed to Pitt
Dishon Jackson, C
For the third time in as many offseasons, senior big man Dishon Jackson entered the spring transfer portal window. Jackson transferred from Charlotte to Iowa State last offseason, spending one season as the Cyclones' starting center in the Big 12.
Jackson is Iowa State's only big man who consistently started games in the frontcourt for the Cyclones who entered the transfer portal this spring.
In his fourth stop in college hoops in the past five offseasons, Jackson is joining Indrusaitis in transferring to Pitt in the ACC for the 2025 offseason.
Committed to Pitt
Kayden Fish, PF
Kansas City, MO, native and redshirt freshman forward Kayden Fish entered the spring transfer portal window after playing over a dozen games in the past two seasons for Otzelberger and the Cyclones. Fish played nine games, averaging 0.7 points per game and 0.3 rebounds for the Cyclones this past season in the 2024-25 campaign.
Committed to Ball State
Demarion Watson, F
Minnesota native wing and former three-star recruit from Maple Grove (MN) Totino-Grace High School Demarion Watson entered the spring transfer portal window after spending a few seasons with the Cyclones in the Big 12.
Watson averaged 1.8 points per game and 2.3 rebounds over 18 games played this past season for the Cyclones. He was an experienced upperclassman for the Cyclones' wing rotation, playing over 80 games in the past three seasons at Iowa State.
Committed to North Texas
JT Rock, C
Former blue-chip recruit from Sioux Falls (SD) Lincoln High School in the 2023 class, redshirt freshman big man JT Rock is taking his talents to the Mountain West Conference in New Mexico. Rock played nine games this past season for the Cyclones, including two points and two rebounds in garbage time in the second half of Iowa State's Round of 64 win over Lipscomb in the postseason.
Committed to New Mexico