Three Cyclones X-Factors for their First Round Game vs Tennessee State

Set to face the Tennessee State Tigers, the Iowa State Cyclones have several players who will impact the outcome.

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) leaves the game during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

It’s been a long Iowa State Cyclone basketball season full of tons of ups. But now it’s time for the March Madness, where Iowa State has the potential to get over the hump and reach its first Final Four in 81 years.

It all starts on the afternoon of March 20th, when the Cyclones meet up with the Tennessee State Tigers for their first-round matchup.

Iowa State is the No. 2 seed, while Tennessee State is the No. 15 seed in the Midwest Region. The winner will take on the winner of the No. 7 seven vs. the No. 10 seed game, which pits the Kentucky Wildcats against the Santa Clara Broncos.

Let’s take a look at three Cyclone X-factors for Friday’s first round game.

Tamin Lipsey

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) shoots the ball during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

In his four-year Iowa State career, Tamin Lipsey has been to the NCAA tournament in all four years.

He has stepped up every single time, scoring the basketball and leading the team as well. However, it hasn’t really translated to wins, as it seemed like the Cyclones underperformed in March every season.

Lipsey is going to have to be the guard to step up in the NCAA tournament this year and play well defensively, too.

Killyan Toure

Mar 7, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) goes to the basket against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Speaking of defense, Killyan Toure will really have to step up throughout March Madness.

In their opening game against Tennessee State, he will have to go up against a guard duo of Aaron Nkrumah and Travis Harper II, two players who average 17+ points per game. It’s going to be both Toure and Tamin Lipsey’s job to step up defensively, which will completely stop the Tigers as a whole.

In addition, Toure had a big conference tournament, where he looked good in all three games. He dove on the ground, matched the tempo defensively, and even provided some offense that helped Iowa State build leads. A continuation into the tournament could be massive for the Cyclones.

Joshua Jefferson

Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

They call it March Madness for a reason. Throughout the tournament, there are often times when madness happens, and teams will need a player to calm the tempo before continuing to play.

Joshua Jefferson is going to have to be exactly that. He’s a senior, a leader, and a calm, patient player who will have to control the tempo throughout the tournament.

If things go wrong early against Tennessee State, Jefferson will need to be the leader he is. As a player, he can flourish against smaller and weaker opponents, and with Tennessee State’s size disadvantage, Jefferson will certainly perform well.