Tamin Lipsey, Killyan Toure a Dynamic Duo for Iowa State Cyclones in Backcourt

The Iowa State Cyclones backcourt is in great hands with Tamin Lipsey and Killyan Toure.

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the months leading up to the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season, there were plenty of predictions made about who would be in the starting lineup for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Senior point guard Tamin Lipsey, should he be healthy, was a shoo-in. As were forwards Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic. At the center spot, Virginia Cavaliers transfer Blake Buchanan was expected to handle things.

Where the debate raged on was who would be in the backcourt alongside Lipsey. Many people thought it would be Jamarion Batemon. A few thought it would be sixth-year senior Nate Heise, who has a 3-and-D skill set that fits as a complementary player perfectly.

In a surprising turn of events, it was another freshman who claimed the spot out of the gate. Killyan Toure, who started in place of Lipsey during the exhibition games, was in the lineup alongside him for the opening tip.

Tamin Lipsey, Killyan Toure dominating for Iowa State

Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

So far, so good, with the duo looking dominant on both ends of the court. They are setting the tone, especially on the defensive end, where they could already be one of the best backcourts in the country.

It made a lot of sense to start Toure alongside Lipsey because of the on-ball pressure he can provide. Having another player capable of handling the point of attack on the court was smart to ease Lipsey back into the mix.

After missing virtually all of training camp and both exhibition games, it was anyone’s guess how he would respond to being back on the court. He has looked good, not missing a beat, making an impact on both ends.

Having Toure as the point of attack defender also enables Lipsey to play off the ball more. In that role, he can be a terror in the passing lanes, racking up steals and creating easy points in the open court and on fast breaks.

Defense is elite with Lipsey and Toure

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Through two games, the senior has already recorded 10 steals. A two-time All-Big 12 Defensive Team member, Lipsey is already building a case to be on the team a third time.

It would not be a surprise to see Toure start getting that kind of recognition in due time himself. He has a skill set that is very similar to Lipsey’s, making the experienced point guard the perfect tutor to learn from.

That's how we do, how we do, fancy like.#Cyclones | #C5C | @TaminLipsey | @killyan_toure pic.twitter.com/Vu2LOsoNiK

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) November 7, 2025

There will be more difficult matchups ahead, but seeing how successful they have been as a duo against the Fairleigh Dickson Knights and Grambling State Tigers is very encouraging. 

A freshman handling the starting role as well as Toure has provided a lot of optimism for the future. He looks to be capable of running the show when Lipsey’s time with the Cyclones comes to an end, continuing the trend of an impactful two-way point guard.