Iowa State basketball's Tamin Lipsey looking to become leader and the next Cyclone great

As Iowa State men's basketball conducts its summer practices, one player is off to the side, rotating his feet repeatedly on the stationary exercise bike.

It's star guard Tamin Lipsey, and he eagerly awaits the conclusion of practice.

Lipsey is sidelined at the moment, about two weeks away from being cleared for full practice after his shoulder surgery in April.

Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger had said in previous seasons that it can be hard to pull Lipsey away from practice and to find ways to get him a rest. Sidelined with this injury, it's made that possible even if it isn't in the way anybody wanted.

"We want to make sure that we're making the right long-term decision for him," Otzelberger said. "It is still a long season. There's a lot in front of us, but I'm always proud of Tamin and always gonna keep challenging Tamin because as much as he's done, we know that he's capable of much more."

The way that Otzelberger is challenging Lipsey is by tasking him with discovering his leadership role, something that Lipsey has fully embraced. As summer workouts come to a close on a given day, Lipsey hops off the stationary bike and breaks down the huddle to bring an official end to the workout, doing every little thing he can to contribute as he awaits his own return.

For Lipsey, it's equal parts frustration and appreciation.

"It's probably helpful just for me as a player trying to expand and lead a big leadership role," Lipsey said. "When you're not on the court, you got to find ways to help your teammates so in that way it's definitely helpful, but definitely frustrating because I want to be out there on the court just competing with them."

More: Iowa State basketball's 2024-25 Big 12 Conference opponents announced

This isn't the first time Lipsey has been here before, having torn his ACL and missing the entirety of his sophomore season with Ames High School in 2019. He knows from that experience that it also can be a big offseason of growth in areas he may not have otherwise tapped into.

Being a leader is a necessity for the Cyclones following the departure of three seniors from last season's team that reached the Sweet 16. In particular, Lipsey mentioned the absence of Robert Jones has been a massive hole that needed to be filled.

It's also an opportunity for Lipsey. As an Ames native, Lipsey grew up idolizing the Iowa State teams of the 2000s and 2010s, particularly the 2014 team that reached the Sweet 16 under coach Fred Hoiberg.

More: Iowa State basketball adds four-star guard Jamarion Batemon to 2025 class

Being able to watch DeAndre Kane's immediate impact as a transfer from Marshall and Monte Morris' growth from the beginning of the season to the end was a particularly inspiring run for Lipsey in his youth, followed by Georges Niang and Royce White's standout seasons when he was growing up.

Now Lipsey sees that same opportunity in front of him for a team that has huge expectations on the outside, but maybe even bigger ones internally. Returners Keshon Jackson and Milan Momcilovic have led the way in Lipsey's absence on the court, but incoming talents like Dishon Jackson have impressed him from the sidelines. Lipsey sees the potential for an all-time season for the Cyclones.

With his prowess on the basketball court and his leadership qualities growing exponentially, the Ames kid sees a chance to push his hometown team to its best season yet.

"It'd be amazing. It'd be a dream come true," Lipsey said. "You want to be the best team that's ever been in program history. That's the goal."

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball's Tamin Lipsey looking to become leader and the next Cyclone great