Iowa State basketball guard Tamin Lipsey on Killyan Toure’s defense
Iowa State basketball guard Tamin Lipsey on Killyan Toure’s defense
ST. LOUIS — Starting backcourt mates Tamin Lipsey and Killyan Toure are just more than teammates; it’s a brotherly bond between the two.
The Iowa State basketball guard tandem has each other’s back, play well together — especially on defense — but they also push each other to get better.
Like any tight brotherhood, there’s also a healthy dose of trash talk. While the more stoic senior Lipsey prefers to let his play do the talking, the freshman Frenchman isn’t afraid to mix in some words.
They quickly became well-acquainted during intense summer sessions, as Toure made an impression with his fiery defense and eventually worked his way into the starting five.
“A lot of it’s in French, actually, so I don’t know what he’s saying, but I can tell when he’s being competitive, trash-talking a little bit, so you’d have to ask him what he’s saying,” Lipsey said. “Obviously, we’ve had a lot of back-and-forth just from the summer and fall, just competing with each other, but you’d have to ask him what he says.”
Toure will flip between French and English, even to this day, but what he is saying remains a mystery.
“They got some basic words (in French) that I say during practice, but it’s not good words, so I won’t say it in front of the cameras,” Toure said sheepishly.
At the end of the day, it’s all love and a way for Toure to tap into his more competitive side whenever he sets foot onto the court.
It also helps Toure and Lipsey elevate each other when they face off in practice or build off of each other’s energy during a game.
In December, Lipsey referred to him as the “best defender” he had ever seen. As March Madness gets underway, the veteran Lipsey stands by his statement months later.
“He’s got length, he’s quick, he’s physical, he’s got all the right pieces and he knows how to poke the ball out,” Lipsey said. “Obviously, you see it, he does it against other teams. He did that against me in the summer, so it made me a better player competing against him.”
Lipsey is averaging 13.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game. The program’s all-time steals leader earned Big 12 All-Defensive team honors for the third year in a row. He was also named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the year and got All-Big 12 second-team recognition, his third season in a row with all-conference honors.
Toure started in every game as a freshman alongside Lipsey. He is averaging 8.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. With his penchant for defense, he is often tasked with matching up against an opponent’s top-scoring guard.
He hit a rough patch offensively in recent months, but his persistence and patience helped him seemingly turn a corner with a 12-point outing on 5-of-9 shooting against Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals.
“Tamin is a legend for Iowa State, a big brother for me,” Toure said. “I just try to watch him and these are the last games we have together. I just try to enjoy the last moments. He gives me good advice during the games and even off the court. He’s a really great example for me. I just try to follow his steps and maybe do better, that’s a goal. Really great example for me.”
Iowa State guard Killyan Toure reflects on starting as a freshman
Iowa State guard Killyan Toure reflects on his first year with the Cyclones and starting as a freshman.
The bond was first formed by scraping against one another over the summer, but it further deepened at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas in November.
Lipsey suffered a groin injury that caused him to miss three games, and Toure was tasked with running the point in his absence.
“(Lipsey) kind of just took Killyan on the side a lot and told him some tips and tricks as a point guard, so I think their bond evolved,” teammate Milan Momcilovic said, recalling Lipsey’s three-game absence. “I think they’re one of the best one-two defensive backcourts in the country.”
When Lipsey first arrived at Iowa State, he also worked his way into the starting five.
There was a vacancy left behind by then-Big 12 Freshman of the Year Tyrese Hunter, who transferred to Texas after his first year in Ames.
Lipsey earned the starting job from Day 1. Before blossoming into the program legend he is today, he looked up to senior teammates Gabe Kalscheur and Jaren Holmes. They took him under their wings and provided guidance and a helping hand to pick him up after rough performances.
Now, as a senior, Lipsey is paying it forward and hoping to be the same type of mentor for Toure.
It’s a similar, but slightly different dynamic. Lipsey ran the point as a freshman, while Toure primarily plays off-ball.
“Because of his work ethic and how he attacks every day, his mindset, he’s always wanting to learn, asking me questions, and he just makes it super easy to be that sort of mentor for him,” Lipsey said of Toure. “…Obviously, being a senior, a point guard, you have to be a leader, you have to command your team. You have to know the ins and outs, and I just want to see what’s best for this program. I want to see him develop.”
Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger gives Tamin Lipsey update
Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger gives Tamin Lipsey health update.
Perhaps next year, Toure will be in a position to run the floor and take the torch from Lipsey.
For now, though, the duo is looking to enjoy the journey together for as long as possible. Including the first-round game against Tennessee State on Friday, March 20, there is a maximum of six games remaining in the college basketball season for Iowa State.
There are hardly any guarantees, though, so a few miscues could result in an earlier-than-desired exit.
“It’s his last year and you just try to enjoy and take pleasure, because he won’t play college anymore in his life,” Toure said. “Just to be around him, seeing how he enjoys what he does, it’s beautiful. It’s good for me too, just really happy to be around him.”
While Lipsey has left a lasting impression on Toure, he’s also left an indelible mark on the program as a whole.
He came in as the hometown kid from Ames, fulfilling a dream. Regardless of how far the Cyclones go this year, there’s no doubt that he will be leaving Iowa State in a better place than when he first arrived.
“There’s no question about it — Tamin has not only elevated our program wherever this journey takes us, but the amount of gratitude and thankfulness we have to him for what he has done, he wears that pride on his sleeve every single day,” said Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger. “There couldn’t be a player out there that cares more about his team winning, about his community, about his campus, his university and about this basketball program. We are just so fortunate to have him as our leader.”
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5
