T.J. Otzelberger Provides Timeline for Tamin Lipsey To Return to Iowa State Cyclones

When will Tamin Lipsey make his highly-anticipated return to the Iowa State Cyclones? Head coach T.J. Otzelberger has provided the answer.

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The Iowa State Cyclones start their season on Nov. 3 against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Hilton Coliseum. Easily the biggest storyline involving the team heading into the opener is whether or not their star point guard, Tamin Lipsey, will be in the lineup.

He has been dealing with a knee sprain that he suffered a few weeks ago during practice while he was going up for a rebound. His rehab and ramp-up have been going well, with positive updates being provided during the team’s media day.

On Wednesday, head coach T.J. Otzelberger gave another update. This time, he included a timeline for when Lipsey could be back in the mix.

How long until Tamin Lipsey is cleared to play?

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As shared by Otzelberger, via college basketball insider Jon Rothstein on X, Lipsey is expected to get clearance in 7-10 days. There is a chance he is available for the season opener, which is 12 days away.

Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey (knee) is expected to be cleared in 7-10 days and could be available for the Cyclones’ opener against FDU on November 3rd, per T.J. Otzelberger.

Averaged 10.6 PPG last season.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 22, 2025

The Cyclones have much bigger goals than winning games in November. If they want to challenge for the Big 12 championship and national title, they need Lipsey operating at 100 percent.

If that means being scaled back early in the campaign, so be it. Iowa State has some incredibly challenging non-conference games, but getting Lipsey back to 100 percent health is more important than pushing him early on.

Injuries have unfortunately plagued him. Last season, he suffered a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. He also played through a fractured hand, both of which limited his production.

Tamin Lipsey being healthy is key to Iowa State success

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The projected timetable that Otzelberger shared could provide him with a few days to ramp up his activity ahead of games. Getting him on the court in any capacity would be a huge boost for the team.

Even if he cannot play his regular allotment of minutes right out of the gate, his presence is important for the team. He sets the tone on both ends as the point guard, facilitating offensively and as the point of attack defender on the other end.

Lipsey is the most important player in the team’s success. He was selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team and Jay Bilas put him on his preseason All-Defensive Team. A two-time All-Big 12 Defensive Team member, his return will have a major positive impact on the squad.

Until he is ready to return, expect freshman Killyan Toure to continue handling the lead-guard role. He started the team’s first exhibition against the Creighton Bluejays and has a lot of similarities that make him the perfect Lipsey replacement in the near and long term.