Tamin Lipsey's back, but Keshon Gilbert won't be for third-seeded ISU in the NCAA Tournament

[The Rob Gray]

Tamin Lipsey's back, but Keshon Gilbert won't be for third-seeded Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament

Mar 8, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward Coleman Hawkins (33) tries to keep the ball from Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) and forward Joshua Jefferson (2) during the first half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images AMES — Io

cyclonefanatic.com

 

[Cy4Lifer]

Will Gilbert get an additional year in college due to this injury?

 

[Tpups21]

Will Gilbert get an additional year in college due to this injury?

No

 

[Cy4Lifer]

No

Well, Jess Settles did!

 

[hoosman]

Let’s say ISU is up 54-30 with 8 minutes to go in the first game. Do they rest Tamin, Cujo, and Jefferson ?

 

[Gibbon]

Let’s say ISU is up 54-30 with 8 minutes to go in the first game. Do they rest Tamin, Cujo, and Jefferson ?

Thibode.....err Otzelberger is our coach, so probably not

 

[NATEizKING]

Let’s say ISU is up 54-30 with 8 minutes to go in the first game. Do they rest Tamin, Cujo, and Jefferson ?

Yes, metrics don't matter anymore

 

[Cyclonepride]

I don't know much about them, but the stats line up surprisingly evenly (albeit with a way, way easier schedule). They seem like your typical well coached small conference champion. Have to come ready to play and execute our game plan, and if we do that, our talent should win the day. Where I think they'll really struggle is against our scoring depth. Can't just take away one or two players.

Iowa State vs Lipscomb Matchup at Bracketologists

bracketologists.com

 

[MartyFine]

 

[MTCyclone43]

"We’ve decided that he needs to focus on his rehab and getting his body back right, so he won’t be available as we move forward,” Otzelberger said.

“(I’ll) kind of stick to that first statement of, you know, Tamin will be ready to go, and with (Gilbert), he’s gotta focus on getting back healthy and getting back to being him,” Otzelberger said.

So Keshon will not be traveling with the team?

 

[jcf817]

"We’ve decided that he needs to focus on his rehab and getting his body back right, so he won’t be available as we move forward,” Otzelberger said.

So Keshon will not be traveling with the team.

That doesn't seem to be the only way to read that.

 

[Cyclonepride]

That doesn't seem to be the only way to read that.

That's my first thought as well. Keshon has been a part of everything so far, including sitting front and center when they announced the bracket. My money is on seeing him sitting on the bench throughout. He's one of the leaders on the team, and is a big part of the reason that they earned a 3 seed. He deserves to enjoy this part too.

 

[Dgilbertson]

"We’ve decided that he needs to focus on his rehab and getting his body back right, so he won’t be available as we move forward,” Otzelberger said.

So Keshon will not be traveling with the team.

It sounds like they’ve decided that Keshon needs to focus on his rehab and getting his body back right. And he won’t be available (dressed to come in, taking warmups) as ISU moves forward.

 

[FinalFourCy]

Blum talks about the importance of Lipsey being healthy and sitting him in the Big 12 Tournament. “What’s the upside”

Yet he’s out there when up late against Cincinnati, when there was clearly also uncertainty in Gilbert availability.

What a letdown.

 

[MTCyclone43]

That doesn't seem to be the only way to read that.

Explain then, if you would, what way are you reading it?

 

[That's a winner!]

Probably wrong but THINKING there may be more to this Gilbert thing than him being injured.....(maybe not)

and what is the purpose of going public with it.....
Why not save it till game day and let Liscomb have to prepare with the idea he will be in line-up??

 

[djsisu]

I think Blum has a good take on it in the latest Williams & Blum, something like: based on what we've seen during conference play, we're not getting the "old" KG back, his injury just seems like something that needs more than a week or two of rest to heal. At the same time, there may have been impacts on flow or the mentality of the rest of the team not knowing what the starting lineup would be week to week.

This decision "pulls the band-aid off" and sets the lineup and removes the distraction of wondering "will we have Maui Keshon back in time?" Obviously sucks for Keshon, but during the rest of the season a loss wasn't the end of line, but now it is. So I'm sure things aren't sunshine and roses, but I don't think it's a Grill-type situation.

 

[brentblum]

Blum talks about the importance of Lipsey being healthy and sitting him in the Big 12 Tournament. “What’s the upside”

Yet he’s out there when up late against Cincinnati, when there was clearly also uncertainty in Gilbert availability.

What a letdown.

It was an eight point game with four minutes left and he was playing great, healthy basketball. I guess I don’t see the similarities.

 

[FinalFourCy]

It was an eight point game with four minutes left and he was playing great, healthy basketball. I guess I don’t see the similarities.

The similarities are in your rationale for why he didn’t play against BYU- a lack of upside.

You implied an increased chance of beating BYU wasn’t worth playing Lipsey due to how important having him as healthy as possible for the next week. Which in essence means the Big 12 tournament in itself has low value

The primary reason you want to win that game is to incrementally increase odds in the NCAA tournament. It’s all about this week.

AND Gilbert’s availability is clearly in jeopardy.

If you can’t close out an 8 point lead against Cincinnati without Lipsey, he’s that important, and it’s all about the NCAA, why is he playing to begin with?

There’s NCAA benefits to playing a lineup that sadly will likely be needed in the most important part of the season, in a situation like the 8 point lead in the final minutes of the Cincinnati game

Being forthright, I was already of the opinion that the maximalist approach, which works great to get on the bubble, was compromising our ability to peak in March. Managing the roster is not easy. A stated belief in load management not having a place in college basketball is manifesting in several ceiling capping things right now. And it was predictable since the early signs of wear started showing in January

 

[jdoggivjc]

Blum talks about the importance of Lipsey being healthy and sitting him in the Big 12 Tournament. “What’s the upside”

Yet he’s out there when up late against Cincinnati, when there was clearly also uncertainty in Gilbert availability.

What a letdown.

Talk about not knowing what the hell is actually going on - Lipsey WAS healthy until he got injured against Cincy… and it’s not like the game was put away when the injury happened.