For the seniors’ last hurrah in Hilton Coliseum, No. 6 Iowa State will say goodbye to five seniors during its game in Hilton Coliseum against Arizona State at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Walking to the line with friends and family holding their jerseys, the crowd of Hilton Coliseum will be saying farewell to five seniors who have helped form the Iowa State basketball program into what it is today.
“To really take in that moment, take in that day, appreciate that day, because it is special,” head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “It’s one that not just the seniors, but all of the guys, it will have an impact on them for the rest of their lives.”
Senior forward Joshua Jefferson, who has played two seasons in a cardinal and gold jersey, and senior forward Eric Mulder will say goodbye following his first year with the Cyclones after transferring from Purdue Fort Wayne.
Senior guard Dominick Nelson will graduate following his first year as a Cyclone, following his transfer from Utah Valley. Redshirt senior guard Nate Heise will receive his recognition as well, following his second year as a Cyclone after transferring from Northern Iowa.
“Joshua [Jefferson] every single day lays his body on the line for us,” Otzelberger said. “Nate [Heise] is an elite competitor. So those guys, they’ve earned the respect of our fan base, of their teammates, their coaches, those that have come before. And they’ve worn that jersey with tremendous pride and we’re really proud of them.”
“They’ve taught me a lot,” junior forward Blake Buchanan said. “It’s going to be pretty cool, you know, Senior Night this weekend, especially for Tamin [Lipsey], he’s been here for four years, done a lot for this program.”
To complete the five seniors graduating, Hometown Hero, senior guard Lipsey, will make his last appearance on the Hilton Coliseum hardwood. Reminiscing on his time playing at Ames High School, playing as a four-year starter and now graduating following his years in a cardinal and gold jersey.
“There’s nobody that’s ever come into a program and left it in a better place than what Tamin Lipsey’s done for Iowa State basketball,” Otzelberger said.
Throughout his time in Ames, the Iowa State fans have not just seen Lipsey grow as a player but as a person. Recently getting married in August, Lipsey explained that there is now more to life than basketball, a reality he had to face as he grew up holding a basketball in his hands.
“Number one thing is just going home to her is a nice kind of settling down from basketball and when things get stressed out, I always have her to rely on,” Lipsey said. “That’s probably the best thing, just knowing that not everything is basketball.”
Ranking seventh in Iowa State program history with 500 career assists, Lipsey joins the other seniors and the rest of the Cyclones for the final game of the regular season against the Sun Devils before heading to Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament.
Arizona State will come to Ames, with a current win streak of two after beating Utah 73-60 and, most recently, Kansas 70-60 on Tuesday.
Against the Jayhawks, Arizona State held Kansas to its worst field goal percentage of 29.2% in a regular-season game since Dec. 1, 2020, against Kentucky. To seal the win, senior guard Maurice Odum played his heart out during his senior night to collect a team high of 23 points and six assists. Following close behind was freshman Massamba Diop, who secured 19 points and a team high of nine rebounds.
In the last meetings between Iowa State and Arizona State, the Cyclones defeated the Sun Devils 76-61 in the 2024-25 season in Tempe, Arizona. Where former Cyclone Curtis Jones secured 33 points after going 10-22 from the field and 8-10 from the charity stripe.
In the final game for the seniors in Hilton Coliseum and the final game of the regular season, Iowa State will take on Arizona State at 1 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on FS1.
