Iowa State Cyclones Freshman Praised by Coach for Performance Against Creighton

The Iowa State Cyclones didn't have many bright spots against the Creighton Bluejays. But head coach T.J. Otzelberger was impressed by one freshman in particular.

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger talks during the university men’s basketball media day at Hilton Coliseum on October. 8, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones played their first game of the year recently, facing off against the Creighton Bluejays in an exhibition. It wasn’t the prettiest performance, losing 71-58.

There were some brutal stretches in the game for T.J. Otzelberger’s squad. Playing without senior point guard Tamin Lipsey, who is recovering from a knee strain, proved to be too much to overcome.

Leaving an exhibition game with any solidified takes is the wrong decision, but there was a lot to dislike about the team’s performance. They went 0-for-14 on 3-point attempts and generating easy baskets was incredibly difficult.

Bright spots were lacking, but one player stood out: freshman Killyan Toure. He received the start in place of Lipsey and caught the attention of Otzelberger, who had nothing but praise for his young guard.

Killyan Toure stands out for Iowa State against Creighton

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Toure was terrific," Otzelberger said via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "I mean, his ability to pressure the basketball was tremendous. I thought he made some big energy plays for us on the glass. He had one turnover in 27 minutes and was very disruptive defensively. So, I thought he was a huge positive."

He started alongside Nate Heise, Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic and Blake Buchanan. The freshman was the only one of those five to finish with a positive plus/minus ratio in the game.

Toure was stepping into a huge role as the replacement for Lipsey. That meant being the initiator offensively with the ball in his hands a ton. Defensively, he was the point of attack defender, setting the tone for the rest of the team.

He excelled and took full advantage of the opportunity presented to him. Seven points were scored in 3-of-4 shooting, adding four rebounds. Only one turnover was committed, an impressive performance given the pressure Creighton puts on opponents.

"Killyan Toure did a lot of great things."#Cyclones | #C5C | @killyan_toure pic.twitter.com/urS3XDuH23

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) October 18, 2025

"It was great," Otzelberger said of his freshman’s play on Friday. "And I think he showed what he can do. I mean, he was efficient, 3-of-4 from the field. He had some impactful rebounds. I mean, he ends up being the only guy on our team to finish positive plus-minus. He did a lot of great things out there; his focus was great."

The impact Toure had offensively should give the head coach plenty of confidence to deploy him in a rotation role during the regular season. What they have to be most excited about is his defensive potential.

He has the skill set to replicate the kind of two-way impact that Lipsey has. Toure needs more experience to reach his ceiling, but the potential is certainly there for him to make an impact.

Learning from a two-time All-Big 12 Defensive Team memer and 2025-26 Preseason All-Big 12 Team selection will be great for the young guard.