Iowa State came into the 2026-27 season expecting Tamin Lipsey to be the guy.
That made sense. The fifth-year guard is one of the best players to ever wear an Iowa State uniform, and he does a little bit of everything. After losing Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic from last season’s Sweet 16 team, the Cyclones needed Lipsey to steady the ship and drive the group forward.
But through the early part of the season, the most impactful player in the rotation has been someone else.
That distinction belongs to transfer guard Ryan Prather Jr., who started the season coming off the bench against Memphis before moving into the starting lineup for the last two games. Since then, he has been producing at a high level and making his presence felt on both ends.
ESPN’s Bracketology, via Joe Lunardi, has used the net point metric from ESPN Analytics to track which player is affecting Iowa State’s scoring margin the most. Before the Cyclones played Southern University, Tre Singleton held the team lead at +6.2 Net Points. After Iowa State’s 84-47 win, that number climbed to +7.9, but Prather Jr. still edged him out with +10.7 to take the lead by a fraction.
Singleton has handled a major role in the frontcourt as a sophomore, stepping into the 4-spot after replacing Jefferson. The former Northwestern Wildcat has exceeded expectations early.
Prather Jr. has done the same since arriving from Robert Morris this offseason. He came in with a reputation for offense, but it’s his defense that has stood out most so far. Against Southern, his +7.0 dNET was the best on the floor, and he was the easy pick as the game’s MVP.
He has also piled up a team-high seven steals to this point.
Offensively, Prather Jr. is giving Iowa State exactly what it needs. He is averaging 13 points per game while shooting .478/.467/.769, and he is hitting 2.3 3-pointers per game. That kind of spacing is helping the Cyclones keep the offense moving and easing the burden on Jamarion Batemon as he tries to replace Momcilovic’s long-range shooting.
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