No. 8 Iowa State Men Seek Fourth Straight Win at Struggling Kansas State

Cyclones' bench production a key factor in recent success

Jan. 31, 2026 at 4:31pm

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The No. 8 Iowa State men's basketball team is looking to extend their winning streak to four games as they travel to face struggling Kansas State on Sunday. The Cyclones have received a major boost from their bench players in recent games, with 40 points coming from reserves in their last outing. Head coach T.J. Otzelberger praised the team's practice habits and the immediate impact of players like freshman Jamarion Batemon off the bench.

Why it matters

Iowa State has climbed back into a tie for third place in the Big 12 standings after a two-game road skid earlier in the season. The Cyclones' ability to get production from their bench and maintain their toughness-based approach in practice has been a key factor in their recent success.

The details

In their 97-67 win over Colorado on Thursday, the Cyclones received 40 points from their bench, a Big 12 season-high. Freshman big man Dominykas Pleta tied a career-high with 12 points and grabbed a career-best 6 rebounds, while freshman guard Jamarion Batemon led the team with 17 points. Defensive captain Nate Heise also had a strong game with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Otzelberger praised the bench players' ability to provide instant production and energy.

  • Iowa State (19-2, 6-2 Big 12) plays at Kansas State (10-11, 1-7) on Sunday, January 31st at 1 p.m. CST.

The players

T.J. Otzelberger

Head coach of the Iowa State men's basketball team.

Dominykas Pleta

Freshman big man for the Iowa State Cyclones who had a career-high 12 points and 6 rebounds in the win over Colorado.

Jamarion Batemon

Freshman guard for the Iowa State Cyclones who led the team with 17 points off the bench in the win over Colorado.

Nate Heise

Defensive captain for the Iowa State Cyclones who had 8 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the win over Colorado.

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What they’re saying

“It feels good to know that not only the five players (who) start a game are pretty good, but the guys who come from the bench also have an instant impact.”

— Dominykas Pleta, Freshman big man

“Our practice habits have been carrying over to the games. So now the challenge (resides) in staying in that same mental place, bringing that same effort and energy in practice, and then being very headstrong that the things you do in practice are gonna carry over to the games.”

— T.J. Otzelberger, Head coach

“Whenever I go in there (and) however long, I've just got to do the best I can to impact winning, because that's the ultimate goal.”

— Jamarion Batemon, Freshman guard

What’s next

The Cyclones will look to extend their winning streak to four games when they face Kansas State on the road on Sunday, January 31st.

The takeaway

Iowa State's ability to get production from their bench players, combined with their commitment to toughness-based habits in practice, has been a key factor in their recent success and climb back into contention in the Big 12 standings.