The Iowa State basketball team is competing this season for a Big 12 championship. Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger is really singing the praises of his veteran guard, Tamin Lipsey. Otzelberger was in awe of what Lipsey was doing, in the team's 72-69 win over Baylor Saturday.
“There was like two of him out there on some possessions, and the plays that he is making, and the steals that he's getting,” Otzelberger said, per KCCI TV. “…..There's a physicality to how he does everything.”
"There was like two of him out there…"#Cyclones coach TJ Otzelberger on Tamin Lipsey's effort in the 72-69 win over Baylor: 14 pts, 9 reb, 3 assists, 2 steals and several body-sacrificing dives to fire up the place. Vid by @dpcoon1 pic.twitter.com/KAvuKIGK4O
— Scott Reister (@scottreister) February 7, 2026
Lipsey poured in 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Cyclones in the Baylor win. Iowa State is now 21-2 on the season, and 8-2 in the Big 12.
Iowa State basketball is red-hot right now
The Cyclones have now won five games in a row, after defeating Baylor. It is the start of a very important stretch for the team, who is looking to head into the Big 12 conference tournament as the no. 1 seed.
Iowa State's next four games include meetings with three ranked teams. The Cyclones must next play TCU, but then have ranked Kansas, BYU and Houston in consecutive games. This stretch will play a pivotal role in the team's conference standing.
“I've coached in this league long enough to know that all that stuff doesn't matter, especially in the back half of Big 12 play. You get to this part, everybody's beat up, everybody's hurt. Guys have adversity, there's challenges all around. And so you just have to find a way,” Otzelberger said postgame, per 247 Sports.
Lipsey is definitely the heart and soul of this Iowa State team. The guard is leading the team in assists and steals. His leadership skills also go a long way in the locker room.
“He's going to have tremendous effort. He's going to have elite energy. His care factor for his team to win couldn't be higher,” Otzelberger added. “….I don't know that I can ever say that Tamin has cranked it up because he's had it cranked up. He's had it cranked up for four years. And I'm so grateful to him, how he continues to lead this program and the way that he does everything is so impressive.”
Iowa State next plays TCU on Tuesday.
