Overview
Tamin Lipsey won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship before he ever suited up for Ames High School as an upperclassman. He went on to earn Iowa Mr. Basketball and Gatorade State Player of the Year honors as a senior, then led Ames High to a state championship. A three-star recruit, Lipsey committed to his hometown Iowa State Cyclones and stepped into the starting lineup from day one after Tyrese Hunter’s transfer opened the door. Lipsey never gave the job back. As a senior, he averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 31.4 minutes per game on 45.9%/31.6%/65.6% shooting splits. He started all 137 games of his college career, broke Iowa State’s single-game steals record with eight against Prairie View A&M and eventually became the program’s all-time steals leader. Lipsey earned three consecutive Big 12 All-Defensive Team selections, First-Team All-Big 12 as a sophomore, an AP All-American honorable mention and was named Academic All-American Team Member of the Year as a senior.
Career Highlights
- Three-time All-Big 12 Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team pick; 2023-24 AP All-America Honorable Mention.
- Holds Iowa State records for career steals (314) and steals per game in a season (2.7 spg in 2023-24).
- Led the Big 12 and ranked 14th nationally in steals (2.3 spg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.3 to 1) in 2025-26.
- Three-time CSC Academic All-America honoree; 2025-26 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
- Won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
Analysis
Lipsey strips ballhandlers, intercepts passes and forces turnovers at a high level. At 200 pounds with long arms, he plays bigger than 6’1 and absorbs contact from larger guards. He is a great screen navigator, staying attached to his man. Offensively, Lipsey functions as a connector who keeps possessions alive with quick, accurate reads. His pull-up midrange game is effective and largely self-created, and his sophomore year showed he has the upside to stretch from range. The guard attacks closeouts with a quick first step and finishes through contact at the basket, drawing fouls. The perimeter shot has room to grow, but his efficiency inside the arc and his ability to pressure the paint give him real offensive utility.
Projection
Lipsey’s defensive intensity, ball security and feel for the game translate directly to the NBA. He will force turnovers, pressure ballhandlers and make the right pass in a way that keeps an offense humming from the moment he checks in. Playstyle comparisons to NBA players include Eric Bledsoe, Marcus Smart and Cason Wallace. Lipsey has the competitive edge, the basketball IQ and the physical toughness to earn real minutes as a rookie and build toward a long career as a two-way guard.
— Profile by RotoWire.com with additional info from the official NBA Draft Media Guide