Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey handles the ball during the second half against Houston at Hilton Coliseum. / Credit: Jacqueline Cordova – Cyclone Fanatic
Tamin Lipsey played as well, and as hard, as he could play Monday night — even when trailing by wide margins, and even with a sore left ankle.
He was still hoisting lobs that Blake Buchanan turned into rim-rattling dunks, making 3-point shots, rebounding, drawing a charge, diving for stray balls, making layups — and trying to run an offense that just couldn’t be run.
That’s the Lipsey locals have seen since this now-a-man was just a kid running up and down the Ames High School court better than most others his age or even older.
Of course he was headed to Iowa State. Of course he would be a great player. All Ames High School grads grow up to become great players, it seems.
And Saturday, this part of his wonderful career ends.
Lipsey will be Iowa State’s headliner during a Senior Day game against Arizona State, in which his Cyclones need to get offensively well again — and in a hurry. He’ll leave as one of the school’s all-timers, both on and off the court, and there’s also this:
That he came as a freshman and leaves as a senior is reason enough in these no-loyalty times of here-today, gone-tomorrow rosters for his jersey to someday hang alongside past greats in Hilton Coliseum’s rafters.
He’s started all 130 games he’s played — three more starts than Melvin Ejim (who will have his jersey hanging by this time next season), and Georges Niang (whose jersey someday should be up there).
The Cyclones have won 93 games in which Lipsey has played. He’s played in three NCAA Tournaments (going on a fourth) and a Sweet 16. Lipsey is just the second Cyclone since George Conditt (2018–22) to play four seasons on scholarship at Iowa State.
If Lipsey hasn’t done it all, he’s come darn close, so honoring him, along with the other seniors, on Saturday — yeah, the long, standing ovation he’ll receive is very deserved.
Once the game starts, and for what will be Lipsey’s 67th (and last) time in front of his Hilton Coliseum people, the focus will be off his storied past and on the still-to-be-penned last chapter of his Iowa State career. The Cyclones need all the Tamin Lipsey they can get. Every ounce. Just like always.
Aside from his defensive acumen and uncanny ability to steal possessions from opponents, Lipsey’s focus Saturday will be helping his teammates make baskets. Make shots, and Iowa State wins. Don’t make shots — and suffer the consequences, and here’s the evidence:
** 16-point loss at Arizona: 29.2% field-goal shooting, including 23.3% from 3-point range.
** 9-point loss vs. Texas Tech: 38.9% and 33.3%.
** 10-point loss at BYU: 42.6% and 33.3%.
** 7-point loss at TCU: 41.4% and 22.7%.
** 9-point loss at Cincinnati: 43.1% and 42.8%.
** 21-point loss at Kansas: 36.9% and 33.3%.
Before Monday’s 73-57 loss at second-ranked Arizona, Iowa State’s shooting percentages against Big 12 opponents were 46.8% from everywhere, and 37.5% from beyond the arc.
Match those averages — and Cy wins. Don’t meet those standards — and you see what happens.
Defense, determination, offensive rebounding and aggressiveness have been present throughout most of the 17 conference games. Shooting accurately enough to beat high-level opponents in Final Four-like environments?
That’s been the missing link that must change heading into Saturday’s 1 p.m. game, and it’s gone past being a “just one of those things” situation for a team that once was the talk of college basketball.
This team plays to the point of exhaustion on every possession. Defense still is top 10 nationally. But while the overall shooting percentage hasn’t been horrible, it’s not, recently, been Top 10 caliber. It’s not been good enough to beat the nation’s best.
Rewind the tape of Monday night’s game.
Just shy of three minutes into the second half, Iowa State missed five shots on one possession. Faulty shooting? Sure, but on this occasion, it mostly was because Arizona was so (NCAA title?) good.
At its shooting and defending best, the Cyclones still have Final Four ability — but what about when their A-game isn’t exactly an A?
That’s not a story anyone thought of back when this team was winning its first 17 games, and 22 of its first 24 …
Back when the NCAA Selection Committee grouped Iowa State among the first four on its early bracket reveal.
(Columnist Randy Peterson, a past Iowa Sportswriter of the Year winner, can be reached at [email protected] or at any Okoboji-area beverage/food establishment between the hours of open and close.)
