In an unexpected turn of events, the Iowa State Cyclones are going to have point guard Tamin Lipsey back in the fold for one more season.
He played what he thought was the final game of his Iowa State career in the Sweet 16 against the Tennessee Volunteers. Lipsey was part of the Senior Night celebrations during the team's final regular-season game at Hilton Coliseum as well.
However, the new 5-in-5 eligibility rule presented an avenue to return to school. He was part of a lawsuit in Indiana and, for now, is eligible for a fifth season with the Cyclones . That is great news for the team, especially with Killyan Toure being sidelined until mid-January at the earliest.
Just how impactful of a return is this? Based on the men's college basketball player rankings done by Matthew Winick, his return ranks at the top of the list.
Mar 26, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) speaks ahead of the Midwest regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
According to his player rankings, Lipsey is surprisingly the second-best player in the country heading into the season, behind only Alex Condon of the Florida Gators. Both players received a 93 rating, which Jeremy Fears of the Michigan State Spartans and Tyler Tanner of the Vanderbilt Commodores also received.
In a blend of analytics and eye test, he ranked all 365 teams and 31 conferences, providing in-depth analysis with depth charts, coaches, how players fit in schemes and a continuity score.
Based on what went into the grading, it is a little easier to understand why Lipsey is so highly regarded. There is no denying the talent and experience that Lipsey brings to the court, and playing for the same coach in college basketball for a fifth season is unheard of in this day and age.
That almost certainly led to sky-high offense/defense fit and continuity scores. At this point, Lipsey likely knows the system that Otzelberger is looking to run on both ends as much as the head coach does himself.
There is going to be a lot of debate about where the top player on every team ranks on this list. Lispey coming in at No. 2 will shock a lot of people, but he checks a lot of the boxes that went into creating the rankings.
With 137 games played and started, he is among the most experienced men's college basketball players who will be taking the court this season. That will have a major impact on the team's performance on the court because there isn't much, if anything, he hasn't seen yet.
Already the owner of a few program records, expect Lipsey to rewrite even more during the 2026-27 season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa-state as Tamin Lipsey Held in Shockingly High Regard in Player Rankings .
