Joshua Jefferson Stepping Up for Iowa State Cyclones Despite Ailments

Joshua Jefferson is giving the Iowa State Cyclones everything he has despite some nagging injuries.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones got their Players Era Festival appearance off on the right foot, defeating the St. John’s Red Storm 83-82 in a thrilling game on Monday. Unfortunately, even in victory, the team suffered a loss.

Star point guard Tamin Lipsey had to exit with about two minutes remaining with what was deemed a lower-body injury. While originally said to be day-to-day, he was unable to get into the lineup for the matchup against the Creighton Bluejays on Tuesday afternoon.

Having to replace a player of Lipsey’s caliber is never an easy task. But, Iowa State’s role players, headed by freshman Killyan Toure and sixth-year senior Nate Heise, both stepped up and got the job done.

Also helping pick up the slack is their other star, forward Joshua Jefferson.

Joshua Jefferson playing at high level

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A Las Vegas native, this week is a homecoming for the talented forward returning to his hometown. He played well against the Red Storm, scoring 17 points with eight rebounds, three steals and one block.

However, he didn’t make it through the game unscathed.

“No, he took a heck of a fall yesterday on his back and tailbone and that sort of thing. And, I mean, he's been a warrior,” head coach T.J. Otzelberger said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network.

The Block.

The Pass.

The Flush!#Cyclones | #C5C | @Joshua_LV0 | @killyan_toure pic.twitter.com/cLYWp0Oxvh

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) November 25, 2025

Jefferson played major minutes in a hard-fought game against St. John’s, logging 36. With the unique format of the Players Era Festival, the Cyclones needed their star forward to play at a high level against Creighton.

Point differential is one of the tiebreakers and with Lipsey sidelined, Jefferson’s presence was needed. He logged another 36 minutes, looking to be banged up a few times during the game when he was brought to the bench to rest.

Injuries not slowing down Joshua Jefferson

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

However, that didn’t stop him from stuffing the stat sheet, and the effort was applauded by his head coach.

“I mean, the minutes he's playing and the production that he's having, he continues to do great things every time out,” Otzelberger said.

Against the Bluejays, Jefferson recorded his second double-double of the season, scoring 18 points with 10 rebounds in a 78-60 victory. Four of those rebounds were on the offensive side of the ball, where he added five assists, handling a lot of ball-handling duties without Lipsey.

🔥 Another win for @CycloneMBB

Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson joins our studio crew in ATL after the Cyclones’ 78–60 victory over Creighton🏀 pic.twitter.com/ok8gv3r7DO

— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsPR) November 25, 2025

To round out his stat line, he had one steal and one block, making an impact on both ends of the floor.

The Cyclones are going to be playing again on Wednesday and will need Jefferson to play at a high level once again. After that, he and the team will get a much-needed break, not taking the court again until Dec. 3 at Hilton Coliseum against the Alcorn State Braves.

After that, a season-defining matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers awaits on Dec. 6 at Mackey Arena.