AMES, Iowa — "You never want a season to end, especially not with a loss. That's tough. I really feel for these seniors."
That's what a teary-eyed freshman Tamin Lipsey said following Iowa State's 2023 loss to Pittsburgh in the NCAA Tournament.
Lipsey, a lifelong Cyclone fan from Ames, has felt heartbreak in the tournament before.
"As a kid I remember I was I would always be so sad when those Iowa State teams would lose and I'd be watching at home," he said. "So it definitely gave back a similar feeling."
He and I had a conversation at the start of [The Big 12 Tournament] and I reminded him of that video," said Rob Lipsey, Tamin's father. "(He said) it's definitely in front of his mind. And, you know, he really wants to have a better outcome this this year."
Lipsey has come a long way since that loss. In 2024, he's improved in almost every statistical category. His biggest jump came from the three-point line, from 20 percent to 39.3.
"He's a competitor, he likes the challenge," said Holly Lipsey, Tamin's mother. "I think right now, he's playing basketball, and maybe not analyzing thinking about everything. And so maybe that's the reason where it's just becoming more normal and natural."
Lipsey grew up idolizing guys like Monte Morris, Georges Niang, Tyrese Haliburton and others. With a win over Illinois, he would do something they never did: Make an Elite 8.
"That'd be super, super special, just for this program, for the community and the fans," Lipsey said.
No. 2 Iowa State and No. 3 Illinois tip off at 9:09 p.m. on TBS in Boston.