Iowa State Cyclones Guard Surprisingly Featured as Part of NBA Draft Big Board

An Iowa State Cyclones guard is being viewed in a very positive light by the NBA draft community.

Iowa State Cyclones forward Killyan Toure (27) gets congratulation from men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger during the second half against UCF in the Big-12 conference game on Jan. 20, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coming into the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season, there were some questions about the Iowa State Cyclones.

Their two leading scorers from last season, Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, were not returning. Neither was their center duo of Dishon Jackson and Brandton Chatfield, leaving massive voids in the rotation.

Bringing back Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic, Tamin Lipsey and Nate Heise was a great start for T.J. Otzelberger’s team. The transfer portal also gave them a new starting center in Blake Buchanon and a bench piece in Dominick Nelson.

Rounding out the rotation would be multiple freshmen: guards Killyan Toure and Jamarion Batemon and big man Dominykas Pleta. Batemon was the most highly regarded of the three, but it is Toure who has made the biggest waves thus far.

Killyan Toure has exceeded all expectations

Jan 10, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) shoots against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

A surprising selection for the starting lineup, he has been part of the first five in all 20 games thus far this season. His defensive ability has been the perfect complement alongside Lipsey in the backcourt, enabling the senior guard to wreak havoc off the ball, not always having to be the point of attack defender.

That creates a high floor for Toure, which has him starting to pop up on the radar of NBA evaluators. Coming into the season, he wasn’t viewed as much of a 2026 draft prospect, but his stock is on the rise.

Jamie Shaw of On3 and Rivals recently shared a 2026 NBA Draft Big Board featuring 30 players. Essentially, those are all guys who will be in the mix as a first-round pick when the draft rolls around in June.

Coming in at No. 29 on the list is Toure, something that no one would have predicted when the season got underway a few months ago. He is the No. 6-ranked point guard on the list and part of a ridiculously deep freshman class.

The Frenchman is just scratching the surface of his potential and possesses some serious upside. Spending his final high school basketball season with Brewest Academy has paid dividends, since he doesn’t look overwhelmed at all with the Cyclones.

Killyan Toure making impact beyond box score

Dec 29, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) defends Houston Christian Huskies guard Demari Williams (0) during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

His numbers don’t jump off the page, averaging 9.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 27.4 minutes per game. A .480/.319/.735 shooting split leaves a little bit to be desired as well.

However, the impact that he is making doesn’t always show up in the box score. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds with a reported 6-foot-9 wingspan, makes him a terror on the defensive side.

He has the size and length to defend both backcourt spots and some wing players. Right now, that is his calling card and what will intrigue NBA teams. If he continues developing offensively, the sky’s truly the limit.

Toure showed signs of what he is capable of when his role has to expand on that end. With Lipsey out of the lineup earlier in the season, he scored 20 points against the Creighton Bluejays and 19 against the Syracuse Orange at the Players Era Festival.