Three Cyclones picked up Big 12 honors following the conclusion of the regular season.
Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, Keshon Gilbert was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and Milan Momcilovic was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
Along with making the All-Big 12 First Team, Lipsey also made the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Lipsey’s team-leading 2.8 steals per game helped Iowa State define itself as one of the best defenses in the Big 12.
Lipsey was the key player in defining what Iowa State did best on defense. His pressure and ability to poke out balls at a high rate helped Iowa State suffocate teams and force turnovers at one of the highest rates in the nation.
Lipsey led the Big 12 in steals and ranked fourth in the nation in the stat as well. Early in the season, Lipsey also set Iowa State’s single-game steal record.
Lipsey was one of two players in the Big 12 to be a unanimous selection to the All-Defensive Team. Lipsey joins a short list of players to be selected to the All-Defensive Team, as only four Cyclones before him were selected.
Lipsey also averaged 12.5 points per game, and averaged nearly five assists and rebounds per game. Those stats, combined with his steal numbers also earned him a selection to the All-Big 12 First Team, making him the second Cyclone in the T.J. Otzelberger-era to make the first team.
Along with Lipsey making the first team, Gilbert’s efforts earned him spots on the second team and the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. Gilbert led the Cyclones in points per game (13.5) and closed in on Lipsey with 4.2 assists per game.
Gilbert was a driving force in Iowa State’s success. When he was scoring at a high clip, the Cyclones tended to win. In fact, Iowa State only lost one game in the regular season when Gilbert scored over 20 points.
Gilbert also cruised to the newcomer team due to his rapid improvement in his first season as a Cyclone. Gilbert earned two Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards during the season.
Lastly, Momcilovic earned Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors due to his efficiency in the scoring department. Momcilovic was one of four Cyclones to average over 10 points per game.
Momcilovic also moved up to tie for third in school history for most 3-pointers in a season with 49.
