Most Valuable Player (MVP)

Brett Twelmeyer, Sports Editor: Tamin Lipsey

Most Valuable Player awards should go to players who provide value in many different ways. Tamin Lipsey is the perfect embodiment of that.

Lipsey averaged 10.6 points and 3.1 assists per game. Though there were some games where Lipsey didn’t have a whole lot on the stat sheet, his extra-effort plays stuck out.

Whether he made stops defensively with one of his 68 steals, saved balls from going out of bounds or simply fought through nearly every injury he was presented with, Lipsey made a lot happen for the Cyclones.

Lipsey is the embodiment of the heart and soul that is Iowa State basketball, and he proved it this season through his thumb, groin and many other ailments.

Pavle Markovic, Assistant Sports Editor: Milan Momcilovic

When I think of the Most Valuable Player, there’s no doubt that this season’s MVP was Milan Momcilovic.

You could make a case that senior guard Curtis Jones or junior forward Joshua Jefferson is the MVP, which I won’t say is wrong, but in my opinion, when it mattered the most, Momcilovic provided the biggest impact to Iowa State, either winning or losing games.

This season, it just happened to be with Momcilovic’s hand injury, which he suffered in practice before the Kansas game, causing the Cyclones to go 3-4 in his absence.

While junior guard Demarion Watson tried to fill the gap in Momcilovic’s absence, it was not enough in the end for Iowa State to stay afloat without the sophomore forward.

Even when Momcilovic did play, his performance on the court played a significant difference in whether the Cyclones were winning or losing games.

Most recently, Momcilovic went on to struggle from the field in the round of 32 matchup against Ole Miss, which resulted in Iowa State’s season ending just short of the Sweet Sixteen.

But then, the game prior, his 20-point day helped lead the Cyclones to move on from the round of 64 in Iowa State’s 27-point win over Lipscomb.

So overall, if I had to pick one player to be the MVP this past season, it’s gonna be Momcilovic.

Cayden Storm, Sports Reporter: Curtis Jones

When I think of the player who was most important to Iowa State’s success, I think of Jones. 

Having a sixth man be the MVP of the team may sound a little odd, but Jones played starting-caliber minutes and put up starting-caliber stats.   

Jones led the Cyclones in scoring, averaging 17.4 points per game while shooting 43% from the field, 37.4% from 3-point range and a team-high 84.5% from the free-throw line. Jones also recorded 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  

However, what was most impressive about Jones’ season was his ability to single-handedly get Iowa State’s offense off the ground. It seemed like every time the Cyclones needed a shot to fall or needed to go on a run, it was Jones that stepped up. 

Without Jones’ big shot ability, I think the Cyclones’ offensive production would’ve seen a sharp decrease in quality. 

Newcomer of the Year

Twelmeyer: Joshua Jefferson

Get used to seeing the others pick Jefferson, too, and for good reason.

Jefferson’s first year with the Cyclones was a big one. He led the team in steals (74), shot 52% from the floor, averaged 13 points, led the team at an average of 7.4 boards, had 109 assists and 26 blocked shots.

Oh, and he recorded nine double-doubles to lead the team.

I referred to him as Iowa State’s “Swiss army knife,” and that’s exactly why. Jefferson was the do-it-all guy and was a massive new addition for the 2024-25 season.

Markovic: Joshua Jefferson

This pick seems obvious and rightfully so.

The Saint Mary’s transfer came to Ames and instantly became a difference-maker in every facet of the game.

There’s a reason he’s referred to as “Mr. Do It All.” Jefferson could literally do anything and everything on the court, whether it came from his scoring abilities, his playmaking abilities, or just being able to be a defensive force.

Even in his first game as a Cyclone, Jefferson showcased his high level of play with 10 points, six rebounds, four steals and an assist in just 21 minutes.

He was also the only Iowa State player to start and play in every game this season, which heavily contributed to the Cyclones’ successes this season.

Now with his commitment to finish out his collegiate career with Iowa State next season, I’m looking forward to seeing how he continues to raise his level of play going forward.

Storm: Joshua Jefferson

The newcomer of the year is Jefferson and I think it’s hard to make an argument for anyone else to win the award. 

The Saint Mary’s transfer wasted no time fitting in with a new team, as he instantly became one of the Cyclones’ best players.

The junior was third on the team in scoring, averaging 13 points per game. He led the team in rebounds with 7.4 per game and steals with 2.1 per game. He was also second on the team in assists and blocks per game. He was truly “Mr. Do It All”.

I think another underrated aspect of his first season in Ames was the leadership he seemed to provide throughout the season, despite being a new addition.

This season was just the beginning. I believe that next season, Jefferson will become a household name, if he hasn’t already. 

Most Improved Player

Twelmeyer: Brandton Chatfield

Chatfield told me earlier in the season that he wanted to play a physical brand of basketball and be competitive in a bigger conference. I’d say he did that as the season wore on.

A dominant force on the offensive glass, Chatfield’s breakout game was in the Big 12 opener against Colorado, where he scored nine points and reeled in seven boards.

At an average of 14 minutes per game, Chatfield didn’t put up a lot of shots, but when he did, there was a strong chance it would fall. Chatfield shot 89 times and made 61.8% of those shots, which led the team, no matter how many shots anyone took.

His efficiency and playing time increased as the season went on, and there were just two games in which he didn’t record a rebound in.

Markovic: Nate Heise

Prior to Iowa State’s game against Ole Miss in the round of 32, I wrote up a notebook about Nate Heise’s increased confidence and how it has not only impacted him, but the entire team. If you haven’t read it, I’d highly recommend you do here.

But just to give my explanation for this particular award, I do feel as if Heise earned this honor from his play late in the year.

Coming into Iowa State, Heise looked to provide a big contribution on both sides of the court after three seasons at Northern Iowa.

While he didn’t provide an immediate impact on the scoring end, Heise’s defensive play was integral to the Cyclones’ successes in the non-conference slate.

After having back-to-back 10-point games against Iowa and Omaha, Heise wouldn’t touch double-digit points until Feb. 18, when he had 11 against Colorado.

While Heise did get close in two games against UCF, Heise could not find a way to pass that threshold, even despite not putting up a lot of shots in these games.

But after a talk with head coach T.J. Otzelberger in Iowa State’s time in Orlando, things began to change in Heise’s shooting confidence, as he would find ways to take better shots and convert on them as well. 

The game against the Buffaloes would only spearhead what was to come for Heise, as he went on a four-game streak of double-digit point performances.

Even in the NCAA Tournament, Heise did not miss a single shot in two games, as he shot a combined 9-for-9 from the field and 4-for-4 from 3-point range.

Like Jefferson, I’m excited to see how Heise’s game increases for his final collegiate season in Ames.

Storm: Nate Heise

When I saw that we were giving out a most improved player award, my mind immediately went to Heise. During the season, I even told Brett and Pavle about how impressed I was with his improvement. 

At the start of the season, Heise was looking like he might be my favorite for “most disappointing player” if that was an award we gave out. 

Coming out of Northern Iowa, Heise was billed as a sharp shooter who would be able to put up some impressive offensive performances. That was far from the case at the start of the season.

Heise scored 10 or more points just twice in Iowa State’s first 25 games and he seemed to lack confidence.

However, something seemed to change Feb. 18, when Heise scored a season-high 11 points on 66.6% shooting from the field against Colorado. After that game, Heise went on to score 12, 13 and 12 points in his next three games. 

His confidence throughout the remainder of the season seemed to be at an all-time high, and he continued to play well throughout the season, including the round of 32 loss to Ole Miss, where he tied his season-high of 13 points while shooting 100% from the field. 

I’m excited to see how he’ll perform next season with a full off-season in Ames under his belt.  

Most Surprising Player

Twelmeyer: Demarion Watson

I’ll be honest, I was a bit surprised when Cade Kelderman got more minutes than Demarion Watson when Lipsey and senior guard Keshon Gilbert were out, but Kelderman acts more like a true point guard than Watson, so I guess it makes some sense.

I thought the 2024-25 season would have been a jump for Watson, but he only saw time in 18 games at an average of 8.9 minutes. But what he did in his limited playing time was eye-catching.

His game against UCF at home was his best in my opinion, as he scored 11 points and had five rebounds in just 11 minutes. Not to mention he had a blocked shot and 11 blocked shots in total on the season.

The chasedown block he had against Kansas was my favorite moment of his. I think Watson is more of a surprising player to me because of how little he played. He sparked a lot of momentum for this team when he played, and I wish we had seen more of him, especially later in March.

Markovic: Nojus Indrusaitis

I think this award is odd in the sense that it can be used in either a positive or negative way.

It could be talked about how surprising a player was in a good way, which translated to success for Iowa State, or it could end up being shown in a bad way, where either the player plays badly or just doesn’t get any playing time.

While I don’t consider Nojus Indrusaitis a bad player, I do include him for this honor, much like why Brett had Watson as his surprising player, and that is because of how little he played.

Coming into Ames, Indrusaitis looked to be one of the brighter freshmen after being a four-star recruit, on top of helping the Lithuanian National Team win a gold medal in the 2022 FIBA U16 European Championship.

However, that light would not shine as bright as Indrusaitis had hoped, as he only went on to make appearances in 15 out of the 35 games played this season, with only four of those 12 games having him play in at least 10 minutes of the game.

His season-high in minutes and points came in the first game of the season against Mississippi Valley State, where he had eight points in 16 minutes.

From there, his season started to take a decline as he fluctuated in minutes throughout the rest of non-conference play and only played in the garbage time minutes during Big 12 play, when Iowa State was up by a decent margin.

Now, as Indrusaitis enters the transfer portal with hopes of finding a better opportunity elsewhere, he’ll look to flush out his time as a Cyclone, despite all the hype going into it.

Storm: Cade Kelderman 

If you had told me before the season that Kelderman would be playing an important role for Iowa State in the postseason, I would’ve called you crazy. But that’s exactly what happened. 

I don’t think that there was a single person who could have predicted Kelderman’s rise into the rotation. Even though there were a multitude of injuries to the Cyclones’ backcourt, I didn’t think Kelderman would be the one to get the call-up, but Otzelberger trusted him, and in his limited action, he did a really good job. 

It will be interesting to see the role that Kelderman plays next season in his junior year.

Most Fun to Watch

Twelmeyer: Curtis Jones

Any time Jones had the ball in his hands, I liked it. Inside, outside, driving, catching and shooting, it didn’t matter. Jones found ways to score from anywhere.

His floater was one of the best in the country this season, and his shot selections were always ones he was confident in. A confident shooter is always a good shooter.

It’s no surprise he led the team in field goals and 3-pointers, both made and attempted. It all allowed him to score a team-high 17.4 points per game. His rebounding wasn’t too shabby either, as he was third on the team and led the guards with 4.2 per game.

Some of the shots Jones made were simply mind-boggling. I remember firsthand his deep, near-logo 3’s against Iowa in Carver Hawkeye Arena and when he did the same to Kansas at Hilton Coliseum.

Jones’ ability to create off the dribble or off a pass was a thing of beauty, and I’ll miss seeing him create those in a Cyclone uniform again.

Markovic: Curtis Jones

Just like the Newcomer of the Year award, this one also comes as no surprise, as Jones was single-handedly the most fun player to watch for this past season.

Even going back to his first season with Iowa State, despite it not starting out as great as he’d hoped, Jones still found a way to make a name for himself by contributing at a high level down the stretch that helped lead the Cyclones to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament and almost an appearance in the Elite Eight.

But his final season not just with Iowa State, but of his time as a college athlete, was by far the most fun to watch, as Jones lit it up from all over the court.

Now, while he did have some spurts of scoring in the single digits, it did not matter in the grand scheme of things, as Jones’ highs were far and away greater than the lows he had experienced this season.

Whether it came from his electric shooting abilities from the outside that reminded me of Stephen Curry, or his ability to drive inside and toss up a floater that was so pure it could make a grown man cry, Jones was simply a problem for every opposing defense he faced.

The most memorable moment of Jones, for me, had to be in the quarterfinal game in the Big 12 Tournament against BYU, where Jones scored 22 of his 31 points in the first half and had a memorable run where it looked like no one on the Cougars could stop him.

I’m honestly not sure if anyone next season will be able to replicate Jones’ style of play and production, so getting to see him in his final season as a Cyclone was truly special.

Storm: Curtis Jones

I don’t know if there is much more that needs to be said about how fun Jones was to watch this season. 

Every time Jones stepped on the court, you had to be prepared for anything. His 3-pointers from way behind the arc stand out, but his ability to finish at the rim was equally as impressive. 

When Jones got going, he was a one-man wrecking crew, and a prime example of that came in the Big 12 quarterfinal games against BYU, where Jones scored 31 points, 22 of which came in the first half, while making seven 3-pointers. 

Jones was a must-see every time he came off the bench and his play style will certainly be missed next season.