Injury Status Update Provided on Tamin Lipsey Ahead of Alcorn State Braves Matchup

Will Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey be able to take the court against the Alcorn State Braves?

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The Iowa State Cyclones are set to take the court after a much-deserved week off following their dominant performance at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

Iowa State will be hosting the Alcorn State Braves at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday evening. The 1-8 SWAC team is projected to be overwhelmed, with the Cyclones being listed as massive favorites across the board.

The biggest question heading into the game is the status of star point guard Tamin Lipsey. Dealing with a groin injury suffered against the St. John’s Red Storm last week, his availability will go right down to the wire.

Will Tamin Lipsey play against Alcorn State?

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According to insider Jon Rothstein, he is a game-time decision for the matchup against Alcorn State tonight.

Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey (lower body) will be a game-time decision for today’s game against Alcorn State, per a school spokesman.

DNP in last two games.

Averages 18.4 PPG and 5.2 APG.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 3, 2025

Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger provided a positive update on his star point guard following practice on Tuesday. While he didn’t commit to a timetable for his return, saying that he is still day-to-day, he did say that progress is being made in his rehabilitation.

It would come as no surprise if the Cyclones opted to hold him out against the Braves. There is going to be no pressure from the team to rush him back into the lineup, and it is easy to see why.

Iowa State has bigger goals than winning a non-conference game against an overmatched opponent in early December. One such goal is defeating the No. 1-ranked team in the country, the Purdue Boilermakers, on their home court on Dec. 6.

The Cyclones should be aiming to have Lipsey as close to 100 percent healthy for that premier matchup. Another Big Ten foe awaits after that, with Iowa State welcoming its in-state rivals, the Iowa Hawkeyes, to Ames for the next chapter in the Cy-Hawk rivalry.

Iowa State has more than enough talent to overcome Lipsey injury

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Iowa State also has incredible depth that has showcased the ability to step up and perform in the absence of its star point guard.

Despite not having Lipsey on the court against the Creighton Bluejays and Syracuse Orange last week, they dominated both contests, winning 78-60 and 95-64.

Stepping up in his place was freshman guard Killyan Toure, who looks like a Lipsey clone with his ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Stepping into the starting five in his place was Nate Heise, a player Otzelberger and his staff have the utmost confidence in.

Those two and Joshua Jefferson have handled the playmaking duties without their starting point guard on the floor. Defensively, the team remains as aggressive as ever, forcing turnovers at an incredibly high rate to get into the open court for easy baskets.