The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team and their fans thought that when their run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament came to an end, it was the last time they would see Tamin Lipsey suiting up for the program.
A four-star starter who was a local product from Ames High School, he helped reset the standard under head coach T.J. Otzelberger. He partook in an emotional senior night along with other players graduating from the team.
While most of those seniors, such as Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise and Eric Mulder, have moved on, Dominick Nelson transferred back to the Utah Valley Wolverines for another season. And now, Lipsey is one step closer to returning to the Cyclones.
As shared by Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network, Judge Kara Krothe of Indiana's Monroe County Circuit Court has granted an injunction to nearly 100 athletes across multiple sports, including Lipsey, to receive a fifth year of eligibility under the new 5-in-5 rules.
Tamin Lipsey eligible to return to Iowa State, for now
The Iowa State star's name first appeared in the lawsuit last week, and for now, he is eligible to return to the Cyclones for a fifth year of action. Iowa State is the only team he plans to play for in the 2026-27 season.
Lipsey, who landed a deal with the Indiana Pacers after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, was offered an Exhibit 10 deal but never signed it, which the NCAA has been using as a precedent to deny players seeking eligibility.
For now, Lipsey is eligible to play, along with other impact players in men's college basketball. Also included in the lawsuit are Tre White returning to the Kansas Jayhawks, Sam Alexis heading to the Indiana Hoosiers, Malik Reneau returning to the Miami Hurricanes and Kenyon Giles returning to the Wichita State Shockers.
JUST IN: Indiana judge Kara Krothe has granted an injunction to Tamin Lipsey (and about 90 other athletes) to have eligibility for the 26-27 athletic year.
The Ames native can officially return to college basketball and Iowa State.
READ: https://t.co/LtRTSOm1Ygpic.twitter.com/8dx5BoI48g
– Alec Busse (@alec_busse) September 23, 2026
This is a massive development for the Cyclones because their backcourt depth is set to receive a major boost. Having a point guard as experienced as Lipsey in the mix raises their floor and ceiling, as they will assuredly be a top-25-ranked team when the preseason polls are released.
It is also impactful for Iowa State because Lipsey can help compensate for the loss of Killyan Toure. He suffered a shoulder injury this summer that is expected to keep him sidelined through mid-to-late January.
That is a massive blow to the team, with Toure looking like an emerging star. But it is a lot easier to overcome knowing they currently have Lipsey eligible and back in the mix, as long as he has recovered from the knee injury he sustained during the NBA summer league.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa-state as Iowa State Basketball Receives Great Tamin Lipsey Eligibility News.