‘I’ve been loving it so far’ ... Former Lake City star Buchanan eyes deep NCAA run with Iowa State — and it nearly started against a former high school teammate

By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

Blake Buchanan has played in the NCAA Tournament before. 

Well, sort of. 

Two years ago, as a freshman at Virginia, the former Lake City High star played in a First Four game, losing to Colorado State. 

This year, as a junior, the 6-foot-10, 235-pound Buchanan is the starting center for No. 2 seed Iowa State (27-7), which plays No. 15 Tennessee State (23-9) today (11:50 a.m. PDT, TBS) in the first round of the Midwest Region in St. Louis. 

“It definitely feels different,” Buchanan said Thursday, in a phone interview. “The First Four, it’s like you play in that to get into the NCAA Tournament, so like actually being in it, and experiencing it ... when I was at Virginia we found out we made it, and had practice that night and flew out the next day.”

THIS YEAR, two Lake City High grads made it to the NCAA Tournament. 

And for a while on Sunday, there was the possibility they could play against each other in the first round. 

During the selection show on CBS, Buchanan was texting with Idaho redshirt sophomore guard Kolton Mitchell, his teammate on the Timberwolves’ undefeated state champions in 2023. 

The Vandals were also in the Field of 68, having won the Big Sky Conference tournament. 

They just didn’t know who they were playing. 

“We knew it was going to be Idaho or Tennessee State,” Buchanan said of Iowa State’s potential foe. “So when we saw we were coming up, and we got mentioned first, I was so nervous, my heart was beating pretty fast. The fact that we could have shared a court together would have been pretty special. 

“I never get to see him, obviously,” Buchanan said of Mitchell. “He’s my best friend, so if we could have gotten to be in the same city for a couple of days, we could have gotten together. For our families ... and everyone in Coeur d’Alene to see that, would have been pretty cool.” 

Like Mitchell, Buchanan played against three of Mitchell’s Idaho teammates while in high school. 

When back in North Idaho, Buchanan sometimes goes down to Moscow to visit his best friend, play open gym with Mitchell and his Vandal teammates, and hang out with them. He said Alex Pribble, Idaho’s third-year coach, told him “you’re more than welcome.” 

Blake grew up in Moscow; his mom, Debbie, coached the Idaho volleyball team for 27 seasons. 

When Buchanan was transferring from Virginia after two seasons, one of the recruiting calls he took was from Pribble. 

“He talked to me; how cool would it be to come home and play in front of your family,” Buchanan recalled. 

AT VIRGINIA, Buchanan appeared in 34 games as a freshman, starting six, and averaged 3.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.  

As a sophomore, after coach Tony Bennett resigned prior to the season and an assistant coach took over, Buchanan played in 32 games, starting 22, and averaged 5.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots. 

After Virginia brought in a new coaching staff after the season, Buchanan (and many of his Cavaliers teammates) transferred out. 

He chose Iowa State over Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson, Notre Dame and Texas A&M. 

Buchanan had met TJ Otzelberger when he attended a USA Basketball minicamp a few years ago. 

This year, he’s started all but one game for the Cyclones, and is averaging 8.4 points and 5.7 rebounds, with 32 blocked shots on the season. 

“I’ve been loving it so far; it’s been awesome,” Buchanan said. “With the season that we’ve had, and all the things we’ve been able to do, and hope to keep doing, it’s been a lot of fun.” 

We like to play at a faster pace, which fits me, just because I’m athletic and I’m fast and I can run the floor,” Buchanan added. “And they love getting the ball in my hands; my coach calls me a point forward, so he trusts me, you’re like my big point guard. How much they want to run the offense through me is pretty cool.” 

PLAYING IN the ACC means trips to storied arenas like at Duke and North Carolina. 

In the Big 12, there’s Allen Fieldhouse, named after legendary coach Phog Allen, at the University of Kansas. 

“The bigs in the Big 12 are all pretty physical, they weigh a lot more than me,” Buchanan said. “In the ACC, I saw more mobile bigs.” 

Also ... 

“The top of the Big 12 is really competitive,” he said. “We were a 5 seed in the Big 12 tournament and we’re a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, which shows how competitive it is.” 

Expectations have been high in Ames this season. Especially after Iowa State won by 23 points at then-No. 1 Purdue in early December. 

Even after a loss — falling to second-ranked Arizona on a buzzer-beater in the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference tournament — “TJ told us that we’re capable (of a Final Four),” Buchanan said. “We played with them, and we had a chance to beat them. I think we know what we’re capable of."