The Iowa State men’s basketball team is looking to rinse and repeat a season that saw them attend the Sweet 16 back in March after losing to Tennessee.  

The challenge will be replacing one of the best cores in the country from last season in Milan Momcilovic, Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson. The Cyclones have added five new transfers and have three high school commits added to the 2026-27 roster. 

The big question is, who will be the starters for this team? One misconception can be that the starting five are the five best players a team can put on the floor. While this can sometimes be the case, the concept of a player’s role is crucial to consider. 

A great example of this is Curtis Jones from the 2024-25 roster. He was a dynamite scoring option for the team and came off the bench, averaging 17.4 points per game. 

Here are my predictions on the consistent starting five for the Cyclones for the 2025-2026 season. It is also important to know that this lineup can vary or change quickly due to injuries or coaching decisions. 

Point Guard: Sophomore Killyan Toure 

My pick for the floor general for this upcoming season will be Toure. He will have big shoes to fill after Lipsey, but Toure looks to be up to the challenge. As a true freshman, he put up respectable numbers, averaging 8.6 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game. 

While his offensive numbers are not crazy flashy, Toure’s main value comes on the defensive side of the ball, where he averaged 1.5 steals per game last season. He is a great on-ball defender, and his athleticism and size make him perfect for the point guard position. Plus, after a year behind and learning under Lipsey, he has the opportunity to polish his offensive game even more. Toure will also aim to improve his 3-point percentage and ball-handling for next season. 

Shooting Guard: Sophomore Jamarion Batemon 

Batemon comes in as one of the best shooters on the Iowa State roster. He had a good freshman season and lit it up from downtown, shooting 37% from 3-point land. Batemon also averaged 6.6 points per game last season. Batemon looks to hold a crucial role beyond the arc and as a defensive option for head coach T.J. Otzelberger’s team. Batemon has the opportunity for a breakout season, with an increased scoring role in the starting five. 

Small Forward: Redshirt Senior Leon Bond lll

One of Iowa State’s transfer pickups has one of the most well-rounded games. Bond had a great season at UNI last season, scoring nearly 12 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game. Bond also earned a spot on the Missouri Valley All-Defensive team last season and is bringing exactly what the Cyclones’ identity is centered around: tough defense and rebounding, as well as being a downhill driver and shooter. 

“We see him as a guy that can make more plays than what he’s been asked to do up to this point,” Otzelberger said. 

This endorsement by the coaching staff of Iowa State really indicates they see Bond as a player who just needs the green light for more minutes. 

Power Forward: Sophomore Tre Singleton 

Singleton has come off a solid freshman season at Northwestern, where he had some big games, one being against Iowa State in the exhibition game last season. He scored 14 points and had five rebounds, which certainly could have opened the eyes of the Iowa State coaching staff after that game. Singleton has the ability to be a great double-double threat for the Cyclones. 

“He’s a guy that has guard skills in a four man’s frame and body, so we are really high on his ability to be another playmaker,” Otzelberger said. 

It has also been mentioned that Singleton has modeled his game similarly after Jefferson and could be a great replacement. 

Center: Senior Blake Buchanan

Rounding out my predicted starting five for the Cyclones is Buchanan, who was a great role-playing center for Iowa State. Buchanan makes winning plays by getting putbacks, offensive rebounding, dump-off dunks and protecting the rim. 

Buchanan averaged 8.5 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds per game, last season. He will be expected to top his previous season and follow the demands of the Cyclone coaching staff, hoping to improve his offensive stats and defensive productivity.