KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Iowa State basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger has a Post-it note on his computer that bears the words “relentless consistency.”
It’s a simple message, perhaps corny to some, but to the Cyclones it’s everything. For the habits-based program, it’s what they strive for on a daily basis.
“To me, what’s really important is every single day you’re the same in terms of how you work, your attitude, your effort, your approach,” Otzelberger said. “At the onset of coming in five years ago to have this opportunity to be the head coach, that was something that mattered to me, that we didn’t have these big swings or these ups and downs, that we could be a program that day-in and day-out could be about the right stuff and the work habits.”
That pursuit of consistency has also had an impact on the win-loss column. For the first time in school history, Iowa State has three consecutive seasons with 25 or more wins.
In 2023-24, the Cyclones finished 29-8 overall, a campaign that included a Big 12 Tournament title and a run to the Sweet 16. Last season, Iowa State finished 25-10 and did its best to manage during an injury-impacted second half of the season.
This year, Iowa State is 25-6 heading into the postseason. It’s only the second time in program history that the Cyclones have amassed that many regular-season wins.
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“Really proud of our guys that they’ve embraced that challenge (of consistency),” Otzelberger said. “The outcomes of the games are the results of their hard work.”
The Cyclones’ streak of 25-win seasons is an impressive one. Their double-down attitude on routines, philosophies and daily habits have helped them find maintained success in an era of college basketball that has seen plenty of change since Otzelberger took the job.
“It’s all a credit to the coaches and how they build the program,” Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey said. “It makes it easy to be able to develop and just grow together. The guys that obviously stick around know how the program is ran and we expect high things out of the program every year. You know what to expect, if you’re a player coming in or if you’re returning. We got a high standard and you push to get better every day.”
With the growing impact and weight of NIL and the transfer portal on the sport over the last few years, there hasn’t been much consistency nationwide. Rosters look different each year, some teams have to rebuild from scratch with each season. Players like Lipsey, four-year seniors all at one school, used to be the norm, but now they’re the exception.
However, even as the dynamics have changed in college basketball over the last few years, Iowa State has remained true to its philosophies.
The Cyclones have also adapted to the times and benefitted from the transfer portal, but they are firm in finding the right fits and players who will integrate well with their intense, regimented routines.
“My first two years of college, I didn’t feel as connected to place or the environment, but here you feel the love as soon as you come here,” said Joshua Jefferson, who earned All-Big 12 honors for the second straight year since coming to Iowa State from Saint Mary’s. “T.J. is a great guy and the staff does an excellent job of making you feel like family and boosting your confidence up. That’s what they’ve helped me to do the most, just be more confident in myself.”
Away from the hard-core practices or the games that demand all-out effort, the Cyclones set aside plenty of time to strengthen bonds off the court.
First-year players aren’t treated like rookies, but held to a high standard like the rest of their peers.
“Felt like home right away, just being that I’m a guy who likes to get after it and we got after it right away from the first day I’ve been here,” freshman guard Jamarion Batemon said. “It’s always been a family-like environment. I got a lot of teammates that’s fun and easy to bond with from the start, so it felt like home right away and I’m glad I came here.”
Program veterans are depended on to lead by example for younger players during introductory summer practices and the regular-season grind. They’ll be just as important in keeping teammates accountable and ensuring the pursuit of consistency remains in the postseason.
Iowa State begins its Big 12 Tournament journey on Wednesday, March 11 against Arizona State. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
It’ll be a tightly contested race to the Big 12 Tournament crown, but the Cyclones are ready to begin the march through the postseason.
“Having that experience is really important,” said Otzelberger, referencing his five returners from last season. “We know we’re fortunate, we’ll have great fan support and we really appreciate that. … They can offer and communicate to some of the younger guys that haven’t been through this experience. I think that’s really important and our guys have done that throughout the course of the year.
“I think that’s why you’ve seen even with our three freshmen, the continued progress those guys have made. They deserve the credit for their work, but also the older guys in terms of taking them under their wing and mentoring them and helping them be at their best.”
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How Iowa State basketball’s pursuit of consistency has shaped success
Reporting by Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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