Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan (23) dunks during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images
ST. LOUIS — T.J. Otzelberger is a passionate fan of the UFC, and his Iowa State program embodies it. There may not be a better example than Sunday’s 82-63 dismantling of Kentucky.
Minus All-American Joshua Jefferson, who missed the game with an ankle injury, Iowa State – a team built on suffocating pressure – delivered its nastiest defensive performance of the season when it mattered most.
If that game was a title fight, the Cyclones won it via third-round knockout.
I’m not sure it fully translated on television, but from courtside it was obvious almost immediately just how unprepared Kentucky was for Iowa State’s pressure.
That’s what makes this version of Iowa State so fascinating. The Cyclones don’t adjust to you – you adjust to them. Or at least, you try.
Defensively, it’s the same thing every night: relentless. Unapologetic. It’s even a little frustrating from a writing standpoint because you’re not getting bulletin-board material. Their words are never about the opponent. It’s always about Iowa State – about “doing what we do.”
If its November against Alcorn State or March against Kentucky – it doesn’t matter. The Cyclones do what they do: grind you down, pressure the hell out of you, and make you hate your basketball life in real time.
And when it hits, you can see it.
Kentucky’s body language cracked midway through the first half, even while holding a lead. Five minutes into the second, they were done.
The frustration. The fatigue. The unraveling.
That’s Iowa State basketball.
And once it starts, there’s no stopping it.
On to the Windy City.
