Tamin Lipsey Elevated Cyclones To Historic Heights in Career

Four years ago, there was a lot of hope and optimism when Tamin Lipsey began his career with the Iowa State Cyclones.

He was a hometown hero, growing up and playing high school basketball at Ames High School. It was a huge addition for Iowa State when he elected to begin his collegiate career, with T.J. Otzelberger just beginning his tenure with grand plans of turning the program around.

He took over for Steve Prohm, who was 2-22 in his final season at the helm. In Year 1, Otzelberger led an instant turnaround with the Cyclones going 22-13, returning to the NCAA Tournament.

However, he knew if he wanted Iowa State to reach the heights he thought possible, he needed a leader on the floor to help elevate the team. It was Lipsey who was tasked with that tall order, fitting the bill of exactly what the new head coach was looking for.

Tamin Lipsey has lived up to expectations with Iowa State

Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey recognized during Senior Day. — Mar 7, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) is recognized during senior day before the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

“I told the guys in the locker room; there’s one player on our team that committed to come to Iowa State when all we were is a vision and a PowerPoint of what this could become,” his head coach said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Alert (subscription required). “And we did the Zoom calls, and we talked about the consistency of habit, the daily habits, the hard work, the blue-collar mentality, the work ethic.”

Expectations were high for the local product, and he has lived up to the billing. On March 7, he played his final home game at Hilton Coliseum in an emotional afternoon, setting the tone for his team as he had so often done over the course of four seasons.

Lipsey scored 16 points in his final contest in Ames, adding six assists, two rebounds and six steals. It was the quintessential Lipsey performance, helping light a fire under his team in the second half after a lackluster first 20 minutes.

The Hometown Hero.

Loyal Son. Forever True.#Cyclones | #C5C | @TaminLipsey pic.twitter.com/F35vwDRqbD
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) March 8, 2026

That performance led to an 86-65 victory for the Cyclones, with Lipsey extending his record for victories as a starter. He is one of the most decorated Iowa State players in program history, which led to Otzelberger praising his senior point guard for believing in the process and making it happen.

“Tamin believed us, and he believed in us before any success had been had. Any wins, any NCAA tournaments, any of those things. And to see what he’s accomplished and how he’s transcended a program, there’s probably never been a better fit for a student athlete in a program than what Tamin Lipsey has been a fit for Iowa State.”

Along with being the all-time leader in wins for a starter, Lipsey has the most steals in Cyclones men’s basketball history. He is everything future Iowa State players aspire to be on the hardwood.