As Iowa State basketball is set to face Lipscomb in their NCAA tournament opener, they’ll also be getting one of their key contributors back, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
“Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey (groin) has returned to practice and fully intends to play in Friday’s NCAA Tournament game against Lipscomb, per a school spokesman. Averages 10.8 PPG,” Rothstein wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Lipsey suffered a groin injury during the final moments of their Big 12 Tournament win against Cincinnati. He didn’t play in the quarterfinal game where they lost to BYU, but he has returned to practice since then. When talking to the media, it sounds like Lipsey is ready to hit the floor with his teammates and help them make a run in the tournament.
“It’s felt a lot better every day,” Lipsey said via Steve Megargee of AP. “So I’m expecting to go out there and play, and I hope I can go out and feel the best I can. … I feel like I’m trending in a positive direction and feel good about it.”
Everyone around him believes that he’ll play as well. Lipsey suffered a fractured thumb earlier in the season but still played through the injury.
“Tough as nails, as they would say,” guard Curtis Jones said. “He’ll play through a lot, especially now that it’s March. It’s win or go home. I feel like he would play through a broken bone. As long as he can get out there and run and pass, I think that’s all he needs to do to make an impact on a team.”
Tamin Lipsey is ready to return to the floor
Through his three seasons with the program, Lipsey has been solid, recording a school-record 235 steals and averaging 10.8 points and 3.2 assists this season. He was also a third-team All-Big 12 and All-Defensive selection this season.
For Lipsey, he doesn’t feel 100%, but he’s healthy enough to go on the court to try and help his team.
“It’s pretty good, I think,” Lipsey said. “You can’t really get to 100% anymore, so I’d say that’s a good starting point.”
Some video of Tamin Lipsey. He told us he’s at around 80% health-wise. pic.twitter.com/aLgfDBgPsX
— Ben Hutchens (@Ben_Hutchens_) March 20, 2025
It seems like he’s getting better every day, and 80% might be all he needs to make a big impact on the team. Anything can happen in a win-or-go-home game, so it’s possible that what he gives Iowa State will be just enough to put them over the top of the teams they may have to face. As of now, the main focus is taking care of business against Lipscomb.
The post Iowa State basketball gets final Tamin Lipsey injury status for NCAA Tournament appeared first on ClutchPoints.
