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Iowa State men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

'Best team that T.J. has had': No. 2 Iowa State climbing to historic heights

By Taylor Bretl | Last updated Jan 17, 2025 6:02 PM ET

Four years ago, T.J. Otzelberger inherited an Iowa State basketball program coming off a 2-22 season, including 0-18 in the Big 12. But the 47-year-old head coach has not only quickly restored hope in Ames. He has put Iowa State in perhaps the best position in the program’s history.

In his first season, Otzelberger led the Cyclones to a 22-13 record and the Sweet 16 as an 11-seed. Last season, Iowa State won 29 games — the second-most wins in a season in program history — and earned its first Big 12 Tournament title since 2019.

The momentum has carried over to this season for the Cyclones, who are 15-1 and ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 — the highest ranking in school history — heading into Saturday's conference game at West Virginia (12-4, 8-1).

Otzelberger has built a formidable squad that thrives on offensive efficiency and defensive pressure. The numbers speak volumes, as the Cyclones top the Big 12 in points per game (85.4), fastbreak points per game (14.8) and field-goal percentage (49.53%).

Defensively, the Cyclones excel in causing chaos, forcing 15.81 turnovers per game, the most in the Big 12, as well as by limiting their own mistakes (10.1 turnovers per game). The turnover margin of 5.7 places them seventh nationally. Otzelberger's calculated brand of basketball gives Iowa State a scoring margin of 20 points per game — the fourth-highest average margin of victory in college basketball.

However, perhaps the most striking aspect of this year’s team is the success of the team's depth. In Wednesday’s matchup against No. 9 Kansas, the Cyclones faced a tough blow when starting forward Milan Momcilovic suffered an injury to his left hand in practice. Undeterred, Iowa State blew out Kansas, 74-57.

"I think it’s the best team that T.J. has had," Kansas coach Bill Self said before the rout, per KUsports.com.

With five players averaging double figures in scoring — along with Dishon Jackson hovering just shy at 9.9 points per game — the Cyclones, led by Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, boast one of the most balanced offensive attacks in college basketball.

Otzelberger's connection with Iowa State runs deep. He served as an assistant for the Cyclones during several periods: 2006-2010 under Greg McDermott, 2010-2013 as associate head coach under Fred Hoiberg and 2015-2016 back as an assistant under Steve Prohm.

During his coaching tenure, he dated and eventually married Alison Lacey, a player on the women's basketball team, and the highest WNBA pick in school history.

Unable to secure the head-coaching position at Iowa State at the time, Otzelberger became South Dakota State head coach in 2016. He led the Jackrabbits to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since the 2011-2012 seasons. In 2017, he was named Summit League Coach of the Year, guiding the Jackrabbits to a then-school-record 28 wins.

In 2019, he took on the head-coaching position at UNLV, coaching there until 2020. Despite not finding significant success with the program, finishing 29-30 over his two years, Otzelberger accepted the Iowa State job in 2021 following Prohm's departure.

In his fourth year as Iowa State head coach, Otzelberger is 85-36, having made the NCAA Tournament every year, and is on track to do the same this season.

It's safe to say Otzelberger's connection with Ames is strong, and as head coach, it's even stronger.

Taylor Bretl

Taylor Bretl is a student at Virginia Tech and founder of Around the Globe Baseball. While his passion is MLB, he also has a strong connection with football and basketball at the professional and collegiate levels.

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