By Rob Gray, correspondent
AMES — Tamin Lipsey described the nightmarish experience as “a blur.”
That’s what Iowa State’s banged-up and standout junior guard told his younger and newer teammates, anyway, about his team’s 75-56 loss two years ago to Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
As for talking to the media about it? Lipsey understandably changed the subject and spoke in general terms.
“Just the fact that it’s a rivalry game and both teams are gonna come out wanting to kill the other team,” said Lipsey, who hopes to help his No. 3 Cyclones (7-1) subdue the upset-minded Hawkeyes (7-2) in Iowa City for the first time since 2014. “So just knowing that it’s another game on the schedule, you can’t take away (from the fact) that there’s a little bit more to it than just one game.”
This rendition of the Cy-Hawk game will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. FS1 will televise the annual event. And Lipsey’s fully ready for it — even as he deals with the painful bumps, bruises and sprains that his body absorbs as a matter of course.
“Tamin, he’s somewhat of a superhero to me,” ISU head coach T.J. Otzelberger said of Lipsey, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery that limited him in summer practice. “He’s a guy that finds ways in adverse situations and challenges to still perform at an extremely high level. Sometimes, when it comes to things with him, they don’t always make sense because he just has such a strong will, intestinal fortitude and toughness to figure things out.”
Lipsey will need superhero-like company if the Cyclones are to end a four-game skid at Carver and beat the Hawkeyes for the third time in the past four meetings. And so far this season, several other ISU players have deftly deployed their own superpowers.
Fellow guard Keshon Gilbert leads the Cyclones in scoring at 17.4 points per game, and is shooting an astonishing 54.3 percent from the field despite taking a number of difficult contested shots at the rim. Guard Curtis Jones (16.3 points per game) continues to shine as a “sixth starter” and Swiss Army knife. Transfer big men Dishon Jackson and Joshua Jefferson showcase their strength in skill in and out of the paint, and sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic is shooting a heady 50 percent from 3-point range while upping his activity level of both ends of the floor.
“I’ve got tremendous confidence in him and he continues to take that step in his development,” Otzelberger said of Momcilovic. “I think for all these guys, it’s keeping the focus on the things that matter most.”
Otzeberger’s daily habits serve as the anchor in that regard and players such as Lipsey apply their diverse powers on the court from there. The Ames native’s poked away two or more steals in six of eight games this season, and no matter the size of the stage, his disruptive style makes its mark.
So while Lipsey’s nowhere near 100 percent physically, his effort-based “superpowers” continue to serve as the Cyclones’ guiding light.
“He’s the best defender on our team,” Momcilovic said. “He runs the offense. Last game he had (nine) assists and no turnovers, so he does a lot, and the scoring will come around eventually for him.”
Lipsey’s compiled a 19-to-2 assist-to-turnover ratio over the past four games, so he’s greatly impacting scoring on both ends of the floor.
“Shoot, if he’s at 25 percent (health-wise), I’ll take Tamin,” Momcilovic said. “I’ll take him no matter what.”
That’s probably hyperbole, but Lipsey’s not defined by mere numbers. Nor is Momcilovic, who could be ISU’s X-factor against the Hawkeyes on Thursday night.
“Whenever he doesn’t shoot it when I pass it to him, I get a little upset,” Lipsey said. “So I’m always telling him to hunt his shots and he does a great job of picking the ones he knows he can make, which is good, but if I (were) him, I’d shoot it every time.”
So don’t expect anything to “blur” for the Cyclones — expect for Lipsey, who turns pain into production every night, home or away.
“A lot of times, adrenaline kicks in, so I don’t really feel the ‘achiness’ of whatever I’m dealing with,” he said. “I just try to go out there and give whatever I can to help the team win.”
