Iowa State Cyclones Freshman Showing the Maturity of a Seasoned Veteran

An Iowa State Cyclones freshman has blown people away with his level of maturity at the start of his college basketball career.

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The Iowa State Cyclones have done a great job in recent years of stockpiling high-upside talent and developing them throughout the course of their careers.

Some players develop more rapidly than others, coming to Ames and being able to contribute to winning instantly. One player who is doing that from their Class of 2025 is international guard Killyan Toure.

A native of France, he opened a lot of eyes with his performance on the court during the offseason. He was far from the most talked-about freshman on the team; that honor would go to top 100 recruit, Jamarion Batemon.

However, as practice sessions continued and the season moved closer, it was Toure drawing a lot of attention. Predictions were made for the starting lineup, and Batemon was the player many thought would start alongside Tamin Lipsey.

Killyan Toure won T.J. Otzelberger over with maturity level

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Those people were only halfway right. Yes, head coach T.J. Otzelberger went with a freshman in the lineup, but it wasn’t Batemon. Instead, it was Toure starting alongside Lipsey, with his maturity being a big reason why.

“I mean, you see how he carries himself on the court like an older veteran player, but that's what he does 24 hours a day. That's who he is and what he does every day,” the head coach said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network.

Otzelberger has said that the current starting five of Toure, Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic and Blake Buchanan may not be permanent. Depending on matchups, things could change, with Nate Heise viewed as a sixth starter.

🇫🇷 Killyan Toure

6’3 Point Guard | Iowa State | Freshman

French freshman guard Killyan Toure delivered another solid two-way performance for Iowa State in the win over Stonehill, continuing to establish himself as one of the most impactful defensive guards in the Big 12 this… pic.twitter.com/g90Hc9bKBv

— Scouting lab (@scouting_lab) November 18, 2025

But one thing is for sure. No matter when he enters the game, Toure is a big part of the team’s rotation.

His defensive ability has opened up a world of possibilities for Otzelberger. Lipsey doesn’t have to play on the ball all game when the two are paired together, allowing him freedom to roam in passing lanes to create turnovers with deflections and steals.

Killyan Toure's year abroad helped prepare him for Iowa State

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What has led to Toure being so advanced at a young age, carrying himself like a multi-year veteran? Otzelberger believes time spent at Brewster Academy prepared him for what life would be like in college.

“He's been away from home a lot at a younger age. Certainly, last year, being in prep school at Brewster Academy, having that year also is helpful because you have all those experiences and how you need to conduct yourself, how you need to carry yourself away from home, do your own laundry, get to bed at a certain time, all those things. So his maturity is off the charts,” he said.

That maturity is a big reason why Otzelberger is confident about having a freshman in the starting lineup. He is already making a winning impact on the court and is only scratching the surface of his potential with four games under his belt.

Thus far, he is averaging 9.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.3 blocks in 24 minutes per game. He looks the part of a long-term building block for the program, someone they can count on to show incoming players how things are done in Ames.