Three Takeaways from No. 18 Iowa State Basketball's 80-76 Loss to Memphis

The No. 18 Iowa State Cyclones opened their season Monday night inside the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with a disappointing 80-76 loss to the Memphis Tigers, dropping their first season opener since 2017. And for the Cyclones: this one carries a little bit more weight.

Here are three takeaways from the loss. 

Longtime Cyclones point guard Tamin Lipsey made his 138th career appearance Monday night, taking the floor for the first time since being granted an additional year of eligibility in September. 

The veteran floor general wasted little time making his presence known, forcing a turnover within the first five minutes of play before closing out the first half with nine points.

Lipsey also delivered Iowa State's final bucket for the first half, getting a shot off with just 0.4 seconds remaining on the shot clock. Despite the late push, the Cyclones still found themselves trailing headed into the break after a last-second dunk by Tigers guard Luke Almodovar.

After averaging 13.5 points and just over five assists per game last season, it looked like the fifth-year was on pace to more than match those numbers. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, with Lipsey ending the game scoring 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists. 

Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton controlled the boards for Iowa State with a team-high 11 rebounds, but the Cyclones were also out-numbered 38-36 on the boards.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Iowa State's 2026-27 roster entering this season was how the Cyclones would replace the scoring production of Milan Momcilovic following his departure for Kentucky.

Early on against the Tigers, it looked like the answer might come in the form of Robert Morris transfer Ryan Prather Jr.

Prather knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the first half, leading all scorerers through the opening 20 minutes with 11 points. He finished with a team-high 19 points, also leading the team in bench production and ending the game as the only Cyclone with multiple three-point baskets.

The momentum, however, was short-lived following an explosive run by the Tigers to open the second half. Prather finished the game 6-for-11 from the floor, providing one of the few bright spots of consistency throughout the night. 

It was no secret coming into this one that Memphis was a team built to play fast. Combine that speed with its ability to create opportunities in transition, and the results proved anything but favorable for Iowa State.

Running the floor proved costly for the Cyclones, who were outscored 14-4 in fastbreak points. Turnovers weren't much better, with Iowa State giving up 10 or more turnovers in a season opener for the first time since 2024.

The offense finished the game shooting just 20% from beyond the arc, 43% from the field, and below 70% from the free-throw line after an abysmal showing from the charity stripe in the first half. 

If there's any room for improvement, it starts with ball security and maintaining a certain level of consistency

Iowa State heads back home for its second non-conference game against Southern Mississippi on Friday. Tip off from Hilton Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.