Iowa State Cyclones Will Show Abundance of Caution With Injured Star Player

An injured Iowa State Cyclones star is not going to be pushed to play until he is healthy enough to return.

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The Iowa State Cyclones have gotten off to a wonderful start in the 2025-26 men’s basketball season.

With a 3-0 showing at the Players Era Festival, the Cyclones are now 7-0. However, it wasn’t all positive in Las Vegas. In their first game against the St. John’s Red Storm, a thrilling 83-82 victory, Iowa State lost its star point guard, Tamin Lipsey.

One of the most productive players in program history, he has been playing at an incredibly high level thus far this year. Through five games, he is averaging 18.4 points, 5.2 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals in 31.2 minutes per game.

Having to replace that kind of production is no small task. Lipsey is a difference-maker on both ends, setting the tone for his teammates to follow suit.

Iowa State will not rush Tamin Lipsey return

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However, don’t expect the Cyclones to rush his return to the court. For them to reach their potential, they need him out there, but they are going to give him as much time to heal up as he needs.

“He deserves the right to be healthy,” head coach T.J. Otzelberger said, via Rob Gray of Cyclone Fanatic. “He’ll gut it out and he’s tough and he’s shown that over time, but we want him to be back when he can be back playing the way he was playing at such a high level prior to the injury.”

It is certainly easier to take the no-rush approach when the team is clicking on all cylinders without him in the lineup.

In their first game without Lipsey, Iowa State hammered the Creighton Bluejays, 78-60. It was a complete 180-degree turn from how things shook out in the exhibition game a few weeks ago, also without Lipsey in the lineup.

Against the Syracuse Orange, the Cyclones performed at an even higher level. They demolished their ACC foes, 95-64, completing a perfect 3-0 appearance in Las Vegas.

Cyclones supporting cast stepping up in place of Tamin Lipsey

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Another reason Iowa State feels no pressure to rush Lipsey back is that his replacements are performing at an incredibly high level.

Freshman Killyan Toure, who looks like a Lipsey clone in many ways, and sixth-year senior Nate Heise have both risen to the occasion to help replace the production of their star teammate.

Toure has been in the starting lineup all season and has exceeded expectations. At the Players Era Festival, he continued his incredible production, making plays on both sides of the ball.

“Can’t say enough how well he’s playing, especially in Tamin’s absence,” Otzelberger said in reference to his freshman guard.

Heise, viewed as a sixth starter by Otzelberger, has stepped right into the starting five and has helped the unit not miss a beat. In two games without Lipsey, he had 10 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, four steals and one block in 69 minutes with only one turnover and three personal fouls.