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Predicting Big Man Minutes for Iowa State Basketball in 2026-27

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan (23) dunks during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Jeff Le-Imagn Images

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Predicting Big Man Minutes for Iowa State Basketball in 2026-27

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Lucca Mazzie | Last updated Apr 19, 2026 8:00 AM ET

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The Iowa State Cyclones have consistently been one of the better programs in college basketball over the past half-decade. With the emergence of T.J. Otzelberger as an elite head coach, as well as an unmatched culture, Iowa State is certainly one of one.

One of the key reasons for the Cyclones success has been their big men. Every defensive-minded team needs interior leaders, and Iowa State has committed to that, as many big men have dominated.

The Cyclones return two big men from last year: Blake Buchanan and Dominykas Pleta. Buchanan was the starting center and more than held his own, especially in March. Pleta, a backup center, had good minutes throughout his freshman season, staying in the tight eight-man rotation all year.

The Cyclones are also bringing in two recruits from high school who are big men. They are Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan and Jackson Kiss, Iowa State’s top two recruits of their class of four. Both are four-star talents per 247 Sports, and are both listed at center.

Iowa State has remarkable frontcourt depth

Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Finally, Iowa State brought in two big men in the transfer portal. They acquired Tre Singleton, a freshman who was with the Northwestern Wildcats last season, and Taj Manning, a senior who was with the Kansas State Wildcats last year.

After both contributed at the Power Conference level, the pair of former Wildcats hopes to bring a fierce energy to the Cyclone program next season.

So, who will actually get minutes in the frontcourt? We broke down potential minute numbers for big men for next season.

Blake Buchanan - 24

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Buchanan deserves lots of minutes. He was a key contributor last season, starting at center, and likely will be the starter again. He definetely should improve with another year of college basketball under his belt. Look for Buchanan to be the leader of the big man unit.

Tre Singleton - 24

Singleton should get about the same as Buchanan. While Buchanan is the better player, youth matters a lot, and Singleton’s three years of eligibility compared to Buchanan’s one year are worth putting the time in to develop him. Singleton will likely start at power forward.

Dominykas Pleta - 14

Pleta will likely be the backup center and be the first big off the bench. He’s already proven he works in the system and should continue to improve next year.

Taj Manning - 10

Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Manning likely will be the second big off the bench behind Pleta. He had better numbers last season, but played for a much worse team, and will have to adapt from a program falling apart to one on the rise.

He should get decent minutes, but probably less than Pleta, especially when you factor in Pleta’s three years of eligibility to Manning’s one.

Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan - 4

The freshmen are tough to predict. Rinaldo-Komlan could redshirt the entire season and not even step on the floor. But he could also be Iowa State’s starting power forward next season. Our prediction is that he plays a solid amount in non-conference play, but minutes get cut in the Big 12.

Jackson Kiss - 4

Same thing for Kiss as with Rinaldo-Komian. He should get more minutes in non-conference play than conference play, but it’s completely dependent on how he does in his opportunities.

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

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