CSC Academic All-District First Team Has 3 Iowa State Basketball Players

Three Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball players have been recognized for excellence on and off the court, moving onto the Academic All-America ballot.

Jan 2, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger, guard Tamin Lipsey (3) and guard Nate Heise (0) watch the Cyclones play the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

A trio of Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball players was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, as seniors Tamin Lipsey and Nate Heise and junior Blake Buchanan were all selected.

Lipsey and Heise have been named to the Academic All-District Team for the third consecutive year, while Buchanan earns the honor for the first time in his career.

Lipsey has earned CSC Academic All-American honors in back-to-back years, receiving First Team recognition in 2025 and Second Team honors in 2024.

This honor recognizes the top student-athletes in the country, taking into account both their performance on the court and in the classroom. To qualify, student-athletes must have a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA, as well as the required athletic accomplishments.

Iowa State trio succeeding on and off the court

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) drives against Iowa State Cyclones forward Blake Buchanan (23) during the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The three nominees will now advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot, where first, second, and third team selections will be made on April 14.

Lipsey, the Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, has continued to put up big numbers in his senior season. He is averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game in 33 games for the Cyclones this season.

Across his career, Lipsey is averaging 10.8 points, 4.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. With 313 career steals, he holds the program record and ranks third all-time in Big 12 history.

Since 1947-48, he has been one of only three players to average those numbers over a career while appearing in at least 135 games.

Got It Done. 📚🏀

📰: https://t.co/UpSA9Z3Mz0#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/u5h492mJpe

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) March 24, 2026

Heise has appeared in 36 games for Iowa State this year, making four starts. He has contributed 5.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.

Recently, Heise has delivered when the Cyclones have needed it most. He recorded a career-high 22 points against the Tennessee State Tigers in the Round of 64 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Heise then followed that performance with 12 points and three assists against Kentucky to help Iowa State advance to the Sweet 16.

Buchanan has appeared in 36 games this season, starting 35. He is averaging 8.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals per game.

Perfectly Executed. #Cyclones | #C5C | @blake_buchanan4 pic.twitter.com/tYQucnGbcZ

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) March 23, 2026

Just three Cyclones have averaged those numbers in a season dating back to 1996-97, and none have done so since Deonte Burton in 2016-17.

No. 6 Iowa State, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, is set to take on the No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers, the No. 6 seed, in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday night at 9:10 p.m. at the United Center in Chicago, IL.