Iowa State’s Killyan Toure is headed to the sideline before the college basketball season even gets rolling.
According to a statement from Iowa State, the sophomore guard had surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to return in January. That means the Cyclones will have to open the 2026-27 season without one of the more interesting young perimeter defenders in the sport.
Toure’s injury arrives after a freshman year that gave scouts something to circle. In 2025-26, he put up 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, he brought a sturdy frame and a real edge on defense.
That defensive ability is what stands out most. Toure was active navigating screens, stayed attached to ball handlers and made life difficult for opposing guards on the perimeter. That kind of pressure travels, and it’s the sort of skill that can get NBA teams paying attention.
The next step is obvious, though: offense. More specifically, the shot. If Toure can turn himself into a reliable perimeter shooter, his path as a “3 & D” prospect gets a lot more interesting, and quickly.
He arrived at Iowa State with real recruiting pedigree, too. A Brewster Academy product, Toure was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class, ranked No. 131 overall and No. 21 among shooting guards by 247Sports.
For now, the focus is recovery. And while Toure still has 2027 NBA Draft upside, missing the start of the season could slow that momentum if he needs time to find his rhythm once he returns.
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A strong Iowa State flavor was on display in Bratislava, Slovakia, where a cluster of future Cyclones and other Iowa-affiliated wrestlers spent the U20 World Championships measuring themselves against the worlds best. Everest Leydecker was the headliner again, adding to the growing buzz around her arrival in Ames after another run through the bracket, while Karlee Brooks, Bella Williams, Taylor Whiting, Dreshaun Ross, Jimmy Mastny, Piper Fowler, Leister Bowling IV and Fred Bachmann all took turns representing the pipeline that has Cyclone fans paying close attention to age-group wrestling.
There was medal hardware in the group, with Ross reaching the podium and Mastny bouncing back in a way that showed exactly why these tournaments matter for a program looking ahead. Not everyone left Slovakia with a medal, but the experience offered a clearer look at who is ready to keep climbing and who still has another step to take once they get to college. For Iowa State, it was the kind of international backdrop that only adds to the anticipation around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]