Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger speaks during the postgame press conference after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Iowa State Basketball Guard Enters Transfer Portal

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 7:57 PM ET

Following a very successful season for the Iowa State Cyclones, the team is now preparing for what the team will look like next season.

While it might have ended a bit earlier than the team would have hoped, the Cyclones had a great year overall. This was a team that was able to land a two-seed in the NCAA tournament, and that doesn’t happen unless the program is elite.

Coming into March Madness, Iowa State had quite a bit of momentum following a couple of convincing wins in the Big 12 tournament and then a memorable game against the Arizona Wildcats.

Unfortunately, an injury to star forward Joshua Jefferson in the opening minutes of their first-round game eventually became too much for them to overcome. In the Sweet 16, they were defeated by the Tennessee Volunteers.

Despite having the talent and potential to make a longer run, they were outmatched against a strong SEC foe without their star. Even though the season just recently came to an end, the transfer portal is open, and there is already a lot of movement around the nation.

For the Cyclones, they will have some open spots to fill with players like Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey, and Nate Heise, all finishing up their senior season. However, guard Mason Williams, who missed the entire 2025-26 campaign, will now be entering the portal.

Williams To Explore Other Opportunities

NEW: Iowa State loses another guard to the transfer portal as Mason Williams enters after sitting out the entire 2025-26 season with injury

The 6-5 combo guard averaged 13.9 points at Eastern Washington before his transferhttps://t.co/6LzI4YqrcY pic.twitter.com/Jyd2BZKntf
— Bill Seals (@williamseals) April 9, 2026

Even though he didn’t play with the Cyclones this year because of injuries, the junior guard will be entering the transfer portal for the second straight season. Williams was a nice addition for Iowa State last year from the Eastern Washington Eagles.

During the 2024-25 season, Williams averaged 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. At 6’5”, he has some excellent size from the guard position, and he was certainly more of a score-first player at the position.

Due to the emergence of both Killyan Toure and Jamarion Batemon as freshmen, Williams might have been concerned about what his role would look like next year. With each of those players performing well and Toure being a starter for the entire year, Williams’ role would have been a bit up in the air.

Now, he will be seeking other opportunities, and he should have some suitors in the portal after a really strong sophomore season with Eastern Washington. While it is unfortunate for the Cyclones to lose him, they should still feel good about their talented duo in the backcourt.

This article first appeared on Iowa State Cyclones on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: