Grading Iowa State Basketball Star Tamin Lipsey's Senior Season

What grade should Iowa State Cyclones star Tamin Lipsey receive for his senior year?

Mar 27, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) shoots in the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. | David Banks-Imagn Images

With the college basketball season officially coming to a close after the National Championship on Monday night, the Iowa State Cyclones will be starting to plan for next season. 

This year, the Cyclones exceeded all expectations for the program and were among the best teams in college basketball. With a quick 16-0 start to the season, Iowa State was able to get up to being ranked number two in the country. 

While it was a hot start to the campaign, they ran into some trouble on the road in conference play. The Big 12 was an impressive conference this season with a lot of talent, and the schedule for the Cyclones felt like a gauntlet, especially at the end of the year. 

However, with a good showing in the Big 12 tournament, the team was a number two seed for March Madness. Unfortunately, despite the hopes of being able to make an Elite 8 or Final Four, the Cyclones lost their star player, Joshua Jefferson, to an ankle injury, and that contributed to them being eliminated in the Sweet 16. 

The loss to the Tennessee Volunteers capped off an amazing four-year career for point guard Tamin Lipsey. The guard was really the heart and the soul of the program for the last few years, and replacing what he brought to the program will be hard to do. Here’s his grade for what was an excellent senior season. 

Lipsey Receives an ‘A’

Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

While Jefferson might have been the best player on the Cyclones this season, Lipsey was certainly a key member of the team as well. The senior guard was a starter all four years in Ames and helped turn this program into what it is today. 

During his senior year, he was able to average 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. With his ability to make an impact on both ends of the court, it is no surprise that Lipsey was considered to be one of the best guards not only in the Big 12 but in the country. 

The Cyclones are a team that is known for their defense, and Lipsey’s ability to get into passing lanes and create turnovers helped lead to easy offense for Iowa State. Following a fantastic four years with the program, the talented guard is undoubtedly going to be missed. Following an excellent campaign this season, he will be going down as one of the best players in program history.