AMES - Tamin Lipsey’s Iowa State chapter is closed, but the Cyclone standard he helped set is still the measuring stick.
After four seasons as one of the most dependable pieces in T.J. Otzelberger’s program, Lipsey has moved on to the Indiana Pacers on an Exhibit 10 deal signed after the 2026 NBA Draft. The Ames native will begin his next stretch on July 10 in Las Vegas, when Indiana opens Summer League against Cleveland.
For Lipsey, the shift from “former Cyclone” to “current Indiana Pacer” comes with a strange feeling attached to it.
“It feels weird for sure,” said Lipsey, who spent time working out with the current Iowa State team this summer. “Just getting out there and competing a little bit with the (current Cyclones) was fun - to feel like I’m back on the team, but ultimately that’s not the case.
Just trying to stay in shape and get up and down and compete. Just get ready for this next opportunity.”
That next opportunity comes with a familiar face nearby. Tyrese Haliburton, another former Cyclone and now the centerpiece of the Pacers, missed all of last season after tearing his Achilles tendon in game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals. He’s healthy again, though he will not be on Indiana’s Summer League roster.
For Lipsey, the chance to learn from Haliburton is part of the appeal.
“Just looking forward to building that relationship with him and seeing what he has to say (about) what I can improve on to earn a spot, or continue to find my way,” said Lipsey, the Big 12’s scholar-athlete of the year last season.
Back in Ames, Iowa State is pushing through its summer work with the same demanding edge Otzelberger has built his program around. The Cyclones have been practicing for two weeks, and the coach said the group is healthy aside from the normal wear and tear of this stage of the calendar.
The one major setback came Friday, when freshman guard Christian Wiggins tore his Achilles. He had surgery Monday and will miss the season.
“He was playing extremely well with a lot of confidence, so it is a hit for our program, for our team, but I also know that Christian has resiliency and unbelievable character,” said Otzelberger. “He’s so well prepared and we have so much confidence in him that he’s gonna be back next year better than ever.”
Even with Wiggins sidelined, Iowa State still has plenty of backcourt pieces to lean on. The roster includes three productive guards from the transfer portal, along with sophomore guards Jamarion Batemon and Killyan Toure, both of whom are expected to play bigger roles.
Batemon said the returning players understand the responsibility that comes with the turnover.
“Now, being like the top returners along with (forward) Dom (Pleta) and (forward) Blake (Buchanan), we know how much we’re needed to take on that leadership role, as we lost leaders,” said Batemon, who shot 37% from 3-point range last season. “So just knowing how important it is, just knowing how much we’re needed, it was important to do.”
Lipsey, though, remains the benchmark for what it looks like to thrive in Otzelberger’s system. Over four seasons, he became Iowa State’s all-time steals leader and the face of the program’s relentless, no-shortcuts identity.
Now he’s trying to carry that same edge into the next level.
“With the Pacers’ organization, I feel like there (are) a lot of common themes between how I play and things that they like to do,” Lipsey said. “So that’s why it was a place I wanted to go to and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
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For Iowa State, the appeal of these honors is in how different they are and how equally valuable they felt. Jeffersons impact came on the court, where he paired consistency with rare production, while Kirwa made her mark on the track by winning at the national level and reshaping the school record book before most freshmen have settled in. The only question now is how much more both athletes can still add to their legacies, because the way each season unfolded left the Cyclones with a lot to look forward to. [Read more 🡒]