Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) drives to the basket for a layup as Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) defends during the first half of a second-round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Tamin Lipsey carries Iowa State to Sweet 16 in dominant performance against Kentucky

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Mar 22, 2026 6:13 PM ET

It turns out the Iowa State Cyclones can win without star senior forward Joshua Jefferson.

Before Iowa State's Round of 32 matchup against the No. 7-seeded Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday, Jefferson (ankle) was ruled out. The No. 2-seeded Cyclones then turned to senior guard Tamin Lipsey, who delivered the best game of his career.

Tamin Lipsey dominated against Kentucky

Lipsey scored a career-high 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and logged 10 assists and five steals in an 82-63 win over the Wildcats. Per The Field of 68, he became the third player in NCAA Tournament history to log that stat line in a game.

Following his outstanding performance, Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger sent a bold message about Lipsey.

Tamin Lipsey went off for a career-high 26 points in a win over Kentucky

The Cyclones advance to the Sweet 16 pic.twitter.com/kdNCqssOyI
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 22, 2026

"There's not a better point guard in America," Otzelberger said in a postgame interview with CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein. "I couldn't be more proud of this guy and what he does every single day."

"There's not a better point guard in America [than Tamin Lipsey]."

TJ Otzelberger told @JonRothstein that Tamin Lipsey had complete control all game vs. Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/h2D2ekcX3l
— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) March 22, 2026

Lipsey may not be the best floor general in the tournament, but he's in the conversation. Entering Sunday's game, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound guard was averaging 12.9 points per game, 4.9 assists per game and 2.2 rebounds per game.

The Cyclones will need Lipsey to keep rolling in the Sweet 16 on Friday against the No. 6-seeded Tennessee Volunteers and No. 3-seeded Virginia Cavaliers, especially with Jefferson's availability remaining uncertain.

Per ESPN's Ben Baby, Jefferson, a 2025-26 second-team All-American, was wearing a walking boot after injuring his left ankle in a 108-74 win over the No. 15-seeded Tennessee State Tigers in the first round. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward — who has averaged 16.4 PPG — said he's still battling swelling.

The Cylcones hope Jefferson returns soon. However, if Lipsey can continue to thrive, they can win at least one more game without the star forward.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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