Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger earned $3.5 million in total pay, which ranks eighth in the Big 12 among public schools, though his $29 million buyout leads the conference. Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State Cyclones Embrace Intense Offseason as Nine Newcomers Join 2025 Roster

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Evan Dammarell | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 1:41 PM ET

The Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball program is entering a pivotal offseason packed with promise and pressure. With nine new players joining the roster, including four freshmen and four transfers, the summer has become a critical proving ground at Iowa State's Sukup Basketball Complex.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger doesn’t ease players into the program. He immerses them. From early wake-ups to multiple workouts a day, the intensity is by design.

"When guys get here, they hear about it, but then it's like, 'Wow, this is a lot,' in terms of we put a number on everything," Otzelberger said. "There's weight goals, shooting goals, there's performance goals. We want guys to feel that accountability every single day, that they've got to hold themselves to a high standard when it comes down to production. The mental toughness to do that every day."

That transition can be jarring, but five returning players in Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic, Nate Heise, and Cade Kelderman are helping guide the newcomers. Their leadership is crucial in building chemistry and culture in a team that, like many in the transfer portal era, is essentially starting fresh.

5 D's of Dodgeball:

Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/RK1Wd8tKH7
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) June 23, 2025

"It's definitely different, but that's normal nowadays with the transfer portal and everything," said Lipsey of welcoming nine new Cyclones. "Basically have a new team every year, so just knowing that we're just going to get to work with those new guys and sort of show them the ropes and how we do things in this program.

"Obviously, they know what to expect through the recruiting process and we wanted to get these guys, so just helping them settle in."

Among the scholarship freshmen are guards Killyan Toure and Jamarion Batemon, and forwards Xzavion Mitchell and Dominykas Pleta. Transfers include Blake Buchanan (Virginia), Eric Mulder (Purdue-Fort Wayne), Dominick Nelson (Utah Valley), and Mason Williams (Eastern Washington), though Williams is sidelined with a hip injury.

So far, Otzelberger has been impressed. From Batemon’s defensive energy to Buchanan’s standout presence and Mitchell’s versatility, the new Cyclones are making their mark.

"You don't want to leave one day or one minute of practice on the table, you want to capitalize on every opportunity," Otzelberger said. "I'm confident after we've had 16 workouts that that's something that we've done and it's a huge credit to Jefferson, Milan, Tamin, Heise and Kelderman."

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

More must-reads: