Iowa State Basketball Star Named National Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist

The 2025-26 Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball team could go down as the best in program history.

In the Sweet 16 for the third time under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, there is a lot of talent on this squad. They have overcome adversity time and time again, already winning 29 games this season, which is tied for the second most in a single campaign.

Defeating the Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet Sixteen would get the team to 30 victories for only the second time ever. If they run the table and win the national championship, they would break the single-season record of 32 victories with their 33rd win.

If the Cyclones are going to achieve that level of success, they need their point guard, Tamin Lipsey, to continue playing at a high level. He’s been excellent on both ends of the floor, with his defensive performance being recognized at a national level.

Tamin Lipsey in the running for Naismith Men's College Defensive Player of the Year Award

Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey defending Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'orso. — Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'orso (3) drives around Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

As shared by the Naismith Awards official account on X, Lipsey has been named a 2026 Naismith Men’s College Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist.

The Iowa State guard is one of 10 players named semifinalists for the prestigious award. He is one of four Big 12 players to make the list, with the conference having more representatives than any other in the country.

Along with Lipsey, he is joined by Kansas Jayhawks sophomore forward Flory Bidunga, Arizona Wildcats senior guard Jaden Bradley and Houston Cougars junior forward Joseph Tugler.

This is an honor that Lipsey has certainly earned with his performance on the defensive end of the court. He is regarded as the best point of attack defender in the country, setting the tone for T.J. Otzelberger’s scheme as the first line of defense.

A human disruptor…

2+ steals per game. Career leader in steals for @CycloneMBB. 3× All-Defensive Team for the @Big12Conference.

And yet, it’s not just the numbers..it’s the presence. @TaminLipsey doesn’t wait for mistakes, he forces them.

We are proud to have Tamin Lipsey… pic.twitter.com/j1NaBeUf5J
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) March 24, 2026

He is the all-time leader in steals in Iowa State basketball history with 313 and counting, twice leading the Big 12 in steals in a single season in his career. For his career, he is averaging 2.3 per game.

Lipsey has been named to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team three years in a row. This is also the third year in a row that he has been selected as a semifinalist for the Naismith Men’s College Defensive Player of the Year Award.

In 2024, he was recognized as one of the final four candidates for the award, but has yet to be selected as the winner. This could certainly be the year, especially with how well the Cyclones have been performing on the court as a whole.