The work in Ames from T. J. Otzelberger and his coaching staff have been impressive over his first half-decade as head coach. He’s fresh off a season leading the Cyclones to 29 wins and a third trip to the Sweet Sixteen in those last five years. Iowa State has appeared as a national contender and Big 12 powerhouse in recent years and looks to keep that up moving forward.
There will certainly be a different vibe to this year’s team, with Joshua Jefferson off to the draft, Tamin Lipsey out of eligibility, and Milan Momcilovic suiting up for Kentucky. Fortunately, the Cyclones get both Jamarion Batemon and Killyan Toure back after solid freshman campaigns, while Blake Buchanan is now a senior and solidifies the frontcourt.
A combination of 3-star freshmen and intriguing transfers fills out the rest of the holes on the roster. Former Bradley point guard Jaquan Johnson should get serious run in his junior year with the Cyclones while fellow MVC star Leon Bond comes from Northern Iowa. Ryan Prather put up great figures at Robert Morris last season while Taj Manning has Big 12 experience at Kansas State.
It’s a hard choice among a talented transfer class but we’re honing in on Tre Singleton as the most important of the bunch. He’s a 6-8 forward from Jeffersonville, Indiana whose collegiate career is only just getting started. He spent his freshman season as a starting forward with Northwestern, putting up 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds and showing strides across that year in the Big Ten.
The first thing to consider is the roster fit, because Singleton likely starts at the 4 for the Cyclones heading into the season. Someone else like Johnson or Bond might score a bit more or be a more notable contributor, but Singleton has an immediate role. He’s also heading into an important sophomore year and spending this time in Otzelberger’s system could see him take a big step forward with his development.
Losing those three former stars doesn’t make life easy for Iowa State but there’s a plethora of new faces ready to take on big roles next season. The Cyclones have the talent to be a top contender in the Big 12 again and just need someone like Johnson or Singleton to take off on their new team. There’s a lot of exciting talent in that backcourt and we know that Buchanan is reliable around the rim; it could depend on how Singleton develops and if he takes charge as a starter in this frontcourt.
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