Iowa State Basketball Star Not Playing in Exhibition With Creighton

The Iowa State Cyclones are set to start the 2026-27 men’s basketball season with an exhibition game against the Creighton Bluejays at Hilton Coliseum.

Unfortunately, they are not going to be at full strength when they take the court. According to a school spokesman, via insider Jon Rothstein, the Cyclones are going to be without star point guard Tamin Lipsey for the game.

There was no reason given for Lipsey being sidelined, but people will certainly wonder if this is an eligibility issue. A member of the Class of 2022, Lipsey is one of many players seeking a fifth year of eligibility under the new 5-in-5 rules being put into place.

He is currently eligible because of a lawsuit he was named in that was filed in Indiana, and the school has announced he is enrolled and back. But if there are any uncertainties regarding that, holding him out makes the most sense.

Tamin Lipsey will not play against Creighton

However, Lipsey was also dealing with an injury over the summer that caused him to sit out NBA Summer League games while with the Indiana Pacers. That could be lingering, and knowing the injury history that he has, Iowa State may just be playing it safe by holding him out for an exhibition to allow him to get 100% healthy for the upcoming season.

Hopefully, this isn’t anything serious, and Lipsey will be back in the lineup for the team’s next exhibition game on Oct. 25 against the Northwestern Wildcats or at least ahead of their regular season opener, which is set for Nov. 2 at the Sanford Pentagon against the Memphis Tigers.

The Cyclones backcourt is already shorthanded because of the absence of Killyan Toure. Projected for a massive leap as a sophomore after starting every game last season as a freshman, he suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery and will keep him sidelined through mid-January at the very least.

That is a massive blow to the team’s plans, but having Lipsey back in the mix certainly helps soften the blow. Now, Iowa State just has to get their star healthy and back in the lineup to help make an impact on the court.

Without Lipsey and Toure, expect transfer Jaquan Johnson to have a massive role against Creighton. The reigning Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year will handle a lot of the responsibilities in the backcourt along with Ryan Prather Jr., a transfer from the Robert Morris Colonials.

Jamarion Batemon, another sophomore guard, could see some opportunities with the ball in his hands as well, as head coach T.J. Otzelberger sees what he has in his club in a low-stakes environment.