Oct 28, 2026 · 1h 1m
Iowa State’s depth raises its Big 12 ceiling
Let Him Cook: Iowa State Basketball’s Ceiling, Big 12 Picks and Season Predictions
Iowa State’s season hinges on how Tamin Lipsey’s return, Kyllian Touré’s injury and a deeper roster translate against an unusually strong Big 12.
- 1Tamin Lipsey’s return gives Iowa State a proven playmaker around whom its athletic, defense-first roster can develop.
- 2Kyllian Touré’s injury reshapes the backcourt, creating opportunities for returning players and new perimeter options to absorb larger roles.
- 3The Big 12 looks deep enough to challenge Iowa State’s title ambitions, with Arizona, Houston, Kansas and others setting a demanding bar.
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The hosts turn Iowa State’s exhibition takeaways into a broader debate over whether its athleticism and defense can survive the Big 12 race.
The brief
Dylan Coon and Nigel Dyson open season four by asking whether Tamin Lipsey’s return can anchor Iowa State’s most athletic and defensively promising roster.
Kyllian Touré’s injury changes the backcourt equation, forcing Iowa State to find new combinations while testing the depth behind Lipsey.
Exhibitions against Creighton and Northwestern reveal athleticism, physicality and defensive potential, but the hosts caution against treating early results as proof.
The central tension is Iowa State’s ceiling versus the Big 12’s depth, as Arizona, Houston, Kansas and other contenders complicate every preseason projection.
The episode closes with preseason All-Big 12 picks, award predictions and a broader argument for the personal rivalries that make college basketball unusually combustible.
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