The departure of point guard Tamin Lipsey brings recognition of one of the greatest careers a point guard has had in a Cyclone uniform. It is crucial, out of respect for Mr. Cyclone, that he gets his flowers.
One of the most honorable traits about Lipsey is that he is the definition of a homegrown talent. Lipsey was a part of Ames his whole life, playing basketball at Ames High School, where, in his senior season, he won the 2021-22 Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year award and also capped his high school career with a Class 4A State Championship win over Johnston High School, 68-37.
There were no doubts that Lipsey would run the show for a high-level program, and he could go to other Division I schools, such as Minnesota and Nebraska, along with Iowa State. In the end, Lipsey chose to stay home and committed to play at Iowa State.
“Tamin [Lipsey] believed in us, and he believed in us before any success had been had, before any wins or NCAA Tournaments,” head coach T.J. Otzelberger said regarding Lipsey before his freshman year at Iowa State.
The stars aligned for the young freshman as Lipsey inherited the starting point guard position when Tyrese Hunter transferred out of Ames and Temple transfer Jeremiah Williams tore his Achilles tendon before the season.
Lipsey put together a very promising freshman campaign, putting up respectable numbers on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, averaging 7.3 points, 4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
Lipsey showed himself to be a great competitor, and there was a strong taste of dissatisfaction as the Cyclones lost in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament to Pittsburgh, 59-41. Iowa State ended the 2022-23 season with a record of 19-14.
The flaws examined after his freshman season were whether Lipsey would be a reliable shooter, as his confidence from beyond the arc looked shaky, with teams sagging off him and daring him to shoot 3-pointers, as he shot only 20% from three. Along with this, his turnover numbers were a little high, averaging 2.5 turnovers per game.
All that being said, those who know Lipsey understood that his work ethic would bring him to become one of the best point guards in the country by his senior year. His hustle and plays that did not stand out on the stat sheet, like diving for loose balls, his high-IQ decision-making and his brick-wall perimeter defense still made him stand out at the time of his offensive struggles.
Teleporting three seasons later, the numbers show that Lipsey got better individually every year. From his sophomore season to his senior year, he improved his 3-point percentage to at least 30% in all three seasons, which was a 10% improvement from his freshman year.
Lipsey was one of the best true point guards in the country, displaying his strong ability to take care of the basketball and cause havoc for opposing teams’ guards on the defensive end.
Lipsey finished 14th in Division I basketball in assist-to-turnover ratio with 3.33 assists for every one turnover and finished 11th in steals, snatching 77 steals throughout his 34 games this season, his senior year. This marks an amazing improvement from his earlier days as the floor general for Iowa State.
Lipsey’s individual improvements led to great success for the Cyclones. Lipsey ended his career with trips to the Big Dance in all four years, appearing in the Sweet 16 twice and finished his Iowa State career with an overall record of 102-40, a career win percentage of 71.8%, showing his ability to make those around him better.
“When you think back on Iowa State in 20 years,” redshirt senior Nate Heise said. “He will be one of the first guys you think about.”
When Lipsey was asked about his time at Iowa State, he expressed gratitude and appreciation for the staff and teammates he had been part of over the last four years.
“This jersey means everything to me, what’s on the front of it, and I’m happy with what I was able to contribute to the program,” Lipsey said.
With Lipsey’s attitude and work ethic, it is no wonder that Iowa State became a powerhouse in the Big 12 and nationally and how that has been contagious throughout the Cyclone men’s basketball program.
“Our program has become Tamin [Lipsey] in so many ways,” Otzelberger said. “It’s a credit to him for the man that he is, the competitor he is, the student he is, the character person he is and his family, because what he’s done every single day for four years has impacted our program not just for the four years he has been here, but it will impact us in a very positive manner for many years moving forward.”
