Iowa State Cyclones Guard Tamin Lipsey Moving Up in Big 12 Record Books

All-time Big 12 records are being chased by Iowa State Cyclones guard, Tamin Lipsey.

Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) reacts after making a three-point shot against Stonehill during the second half in the NCAA basketball on Nov. 17, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have been one of the most dominant teams in the country thus far in the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season.

Entering their final non-conference game on the schedule against the Houston Christian Huskies, they are a perfect 12-0. That includes six victories over Power Conference programs. Only two of their victories have come by fewer than 16 points, steamrolling the competition.

One of the driving forces behind that success has been point guard Tamin Lipsey. Injuries have been a consistent challenge for him throughout his Iowa State career, but when he is on the court, he is one of the most impactful players in the nation.

Lauded for his defensive abilities, he was viewed as the best point of attack defender in men’s college basketball coming into the season. That is a title he may believe his backcourt mate, Killyan Toure, now deserves after giving major praise to the freshman guard.

Tamin Lipsey making way up Big 12 all-time steals leaderboard

Alas, it will take Toure a little longer to receive that kind of recognition nationally. He is only 12 games into his collegiate career, while Lipsey is a senior with 112 games under his belt with the Cyclones.

In that time, he has helped turn the program into one of the best men’s basketball teams in the nation. He sets an example for his teammates to follow with his hard work and discipline, which starts on the defensive end of the court.

On the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Watchlist, Lipsey makes a name for himself with his ability to slow down opponents defensively. As noted on their post on X, he is moving up the all-time steals leaderboard in Big 12 history.

He has recorded 263 swipes in his career, which is already the most in Iowa State history and currently sixth in conference history. That puts him only one behind Aaron Miles of the Kansas Jayhawks and four behind Byron Eaton of the Oklahoma State Cowboys to break into the top five and land at No. 4.

Lipsey could be stealing the show…

The @jerseymikes Naismith Men’s College POY Watch List guard needs just 5 more steals to be 4th all-time in Big 12 history!

Could Tamin Lipsey also pave his way onto the Watch List for 2025 Naismith Men’s College DPOY presented by… pic.twitter.com/5tUINSQSrk

— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) December 23, 2025

Already with three five-steal games to his credit this season, there is certainly a chance he claims that spot when the game against Houston Christian is completed.

Should Lipsey be able to stay healthy, reaching the 300-steal plateau is certainly within reach. That would make him only the third player in Big 12 history to achieve that feat, joining Cookie Belcher of the Nebraska Cornhuskers with 353 and Jevon Carter of the West Virginia Mountaineers with 330.

The only player between Lipsey and the 300 mark, once he surpasses Miles and Eaton, is Mario Chalmers of Kansas with 283.

Averaging a Big 12-best 2.9 steals per game thus far this season, he could surpass Chalmers before the calendar flips to February in 2026.