Former Lake City basketball star Blake Buchanan finds perfect landing spot at Iowa State: 'It's special'

FORT WORTH, Texas – In the wild world of college athletics, Blake Buchanan considers himself fortunate.

The former Lake City High School basketball star began his career at Virginia in 2023 playing for his favorite coach, Tony Bennett – before Bennett abruptly retired at the start of the 2024 season.

So last April, when Buchanan decided to hit the transfer portal, one school in particular jumped out: Iowa State, led by coach T.J. Otzelberger.

Buchanan had played for Otzelberger in 2023 at the USA Basketball Under-19 National Team Training Camp – where he also shared the floor with current ISU teammate Milan Momcilovic – and liked what the Cyclones’ coach and program had to offer.

“I got to experience some time with him (with USA Basketball). When I got in the transfer portal, that’s when I really got to know him,” Buchanan said after a recent Iowa State game at TCU. “USA was so long ago. Rebuilding that relationship and catching up again was good for me. Everything that (Otzelberger) talks about, he preaches. That’s what I wanted from a program and a coach.”

And the rugged Cyclones have to like what they’ve gotten in Buchanan. Through 26 games, the former Idaho Mr. Basketball – who led Lake City to a 5A State Championship as a senior – is averaging 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds for the No. 6-ranked Cyclones (23-3, 10-3 Big 12), who are coming off a wild 70-67 victory over No. 2 Houston on Monday night.

“It’s been a good situation for me so far. I’m loving the vibes,” said the 6-foot-10 Buchanan, who had 10 points and four rebounds against the Cougars. “It’s just a lot different than what Virginia was in a lot of good ways. I’m enjoying it a lot.”

Buchanan likely had a blast on Monday, when the Cyclones rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half in front of their home fans at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. His defensive rebound in the closing seconds sealed the win.

“It’s a great atmosphere. It’s special, a fun place to play at,” said Buchanan, who has started every game this season and is shooting 65.8% from the field. “We love being back home with our fans. They help us a lot. The fan base has been awesome. We see it everywhere – at football games, volleyball games, women’s basketball games, they really support us. When we walk around, they give us a lot of love, which is cool. That has been the best part (of being here).”

Buchanan’s Cyclones remain in third place in the Big 12, a game behind Houston and a game-and-a-half behind Arizona. Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats play at Houston on Saturday.

“It’s good competition everywhere you go. I think (the Big 12) is a league that from top-to-bottom is pretty good. The ACC was a little down last year, but they’ve switched that this year. The ACC is pretty good. In a lot of ways, it’s a lot of the same things. The Big 12 is a little more physical, but at the end of the day, it’s high-level basketball.”

It’s the type of basketball that first drew him to Virginia, which won the 2019 NCAA crown under Bennett. When he retired on Oct. 18, 2024, Bennett – who led Washington State to two NCAA Tournament appearances before leaving for the Cavaliers in 2009 – pointed to the changing dynamics of college athletics – notably NIL and the transfer portal.

“Coach Bennett is a great guy. I’m always going to have a certain love for him,” said Buchanan, who maintains a relationship with his former coach. “He recruited me and put a lot of trust and faith into me out of high school, so I’m always going to appreciate that. With him retiring last year, it kind of hurt, but I still stay in touch with him, text once in a while. He’s always going to be a guy who means a lot to me.”

Strong bonds obviously mean a lot to Buchanan, whose parents have managed to sneak away from Coeur d’Alene to watch him play on a few occasions this season. They were in Ames on Saturday to watch Buchanan score 11 points and grab six rebounds in a 74-56 win over No. 8 Kansas.

“They’ve been out a couple times,” he said. “It’s tricky with them both working.”

He does try to make the most of his down time to return to the Northwest, however.

“I get home when I’ve got breaks,” he said. “My first job is basketball and being at Iowa State and when I get time this summer, I get to go home for a couple weeks.

“When I’m supposed to be at Iowa State, I’m all the way there,” he said. “That’s part of it, what I signed up for. But when I get to go home, I take full advantage of it, especially in the summertime when it’s beautiful up there. I’m in Iowa probably 10 months out of the year, that’s how it is.”

As much as he’s away from Coeur d’Alene now, he still leans on his roots to guide him – whether he’s playing in Ames or in other basketball arenas across the country.

“It’s always good to come out of that area, represent that area,,” Buchanan said. “(My advice for kids back home is) just stay with it. Sometimes it’s not easy. Especially coming out of our area, it’s hard to come out of there and go to a big school, I got lucky. It’s a tricky spot, a tricky situation. Just do as much as you can, stay with the work and it’s going to work out. There’s always a place for you somewhere, you’ve just got to find it.”

Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.