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AMES — Daily habits are part of the core tenets that make up Iowa State basketball.
Over the last four years, Tamin Lipsey was a cornerstone for the program. too.
Learning those daily habits is part of the routine for Iowa State basketball players during the summer grind. The eight-week practice program is a good way to shake off the rust and get newcomers acclimated to the demands and expectations of the program.
Lipsey knows the deal all too well. He's used to competing and practicing alongside the Cyclones this time of the year.
As he wrapped up a summer workout with the current batch of Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on June 30, it was a strange knowing that instead of gearing up for the next college basketball season, he's putting his preparations to begin the next phase of his career: an NBA shot with the Indiana Pacers on an Exhibit 10 deal, which is a one-year, non-guaranteed NBA training camp contract.
"It feels weird for sure, just getting out there and competing a little bit with the guys on the new team, it was fun to feel like I'm back on the team," Lipsey said. "But, ultimately, that's not the case. Just trying to stay in shape and get up and down, and compete just to get ready for this next opportunity."
Lipsey is scheduled to go to Indianapolis on July 2. He'll get a few days to practice with the Pacers' summer league roster before they head down to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League.
Indiana is scheduled to play its first game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 10, at 3:30 p.m. CT.
It'll be his first time living away from his hometown of Ames, and he's excited for the new adventure.
"Just excited and grateful for any opportunity that I get to compete and have an opportunity to either earn a spot on a team, or a two-way, or whatever the case may be," Lipsey said. "Just have a spot to go in and compete in a training camp, and summer league, and with the Pacers organization, I feel like there's a lot of common things between how I play and things that they like to do, so that's why it was a place I kind of wanted to go to."
The Pacers were one of the organizations Lipsey worked out for and interviewed with during the pre-draft process. He reportedly worked out for at least 10 NBA teams.
He also participated in the NBA G League Combine and the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
It can be difficult for players to stand out during the draft process, where raw athleticism and elite measurables can sometimes impress scouts more than collegiate success.
Lipsey is best known for his penchant for defense and making hustle plays. A winning player and a valued leader, those attributes may not always show in the brief moments that prospects get to audition for scouts.
Despite that, Lipsey wasn't discouraged throughout the process.
"You're kind of just thrown into a group of guys and you don't know how each other play, and all those things," Lipsey said. "The chemistry is not there, so those situations are kind of tough, but at the end of the day, I think people know who I am as a player.
"One thing that I can control is my effort, my talk and my defense, and those are really the things that I feel like I can contribute at the next level, so not putting too much pressure on it to go out there and perform, but just doing what I do."
While he was hopeful to get drafted in the second round, he knew an undrafted free agent deal was the likely scenario, especially once it came time for the last few picks of the draft.
He had several Exhibit 10 deals to sift through before ultimately choosing the Pacers.
It also helps that Indiana has several ties to the state of Iowa. Former Iowa State star Tyrese Haliburton is a two-time NBA All-Star and the franchise headliner. Pacers scout Michael Born is also a former Cyclone.
Current Pacers coach Rick Carlisle once came to Iowa, when he was the coach at Dallas, to sign Ames native Harrison Barnes to the Mavericks, while Barnes was running a basketball camp in July 2016.
Lipsey frequently attended Barnes' camps when he was younger, so it's possible he was there that same day Carlisle was in the building.
Carlisle also helped sell Lipsey on the Pacers when it came time for him to decide on his next step.
"I talked to him, and he wanted me to come there and compete, so just having the head coach call you kind of shows the interest that they have," Lipsey said, also recalling coach T.J. Otzelberger's advice that the first teams to reach out are often the most interested. "That's really a big part of why I wanted to go there."
Lipsey was a legend at Iowa State, earning All-Big 12 honors and Big 12 All-Defensive accolades three times each. He was also named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and CSC Division I Academic All-American of the Year as a senior.
He holds program records for career steals (314) and games started (137). He racked up 1,507 points over his four years as a Cyclone.
Now, he hopes to create a name for himself in the NBA.
If Lipsey impresses the Pacers, Indiana can upgrade his contract.
Based on performance, the Exhibit 10 deal can be potentially converted to a two-way deal, which would allow Lipsey to split time between the NBA and the Pacers' G-League affiliate.
It's also possible that he goes even further and makes the Pacers' 15-man roster, which would upgrade the deal to a one-year, standard minimum contract.
"As a kid, I always put on my paper in school that I wanted to be an NBA player, so just one step closer to getting out there on the court and reaching the goals that I set a long time ago," Lipsey said. "One step closer, and got a few more steps to go."
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Former Iowa State star Tamin Lipsey hopes to wow Indiana Pacers
Continue reading...
Over the last four years, Tamin Lipsey was a cornerstone for the program. too.
Learning those daily habits is part of the routine for Iowa State basketball players during the summer grind. The eight-week practice program is a good way to shake off the rust and get newcomers acclimated to the demands and expectations of the program.
Lipsey knows the deal all too well. He's used to competing and practicing alongside the Cyclones this time of the year.
As he wrapped up a summer workout with the current batch of Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on June 30, it was a strange knowing that instead of gearing up for the next college basketball season, he's putting his preparations to begin the next phase of his career: an NBA shot with the Indiana Pacers on an Exhibit 10 deal, which is a one-year, non-guaranteed NBA training camp contract.
"It feels weird for sure, just getting out there and competing a little bit with the guys on the new team, it was fun to feel like I'm back on the team," Lipsey said. "But, ultimately, that's not the case. Just trying to stay in shape and get up and down, and compete just to get ready for this next opportunity."
Lipsey is scheduled to go to Indianapolis on July 2. He'll get a few days to practice with the Pacers' summer league roster before they head down to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League.
Indiana is scheduled to play its first game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 10, at 3:30 p.m. CT.
It'll be his first time living away from his hometown of Ames, and he's excited for the new adventure.
"Just excited and grateful for any opportunity that I get to compete and have an opportunity to either earn a spot on a team, or a two-way, or whatever the case may be," Lipsey said. "Just have a spot to go in and compete in a training camp, and summer league, and with the Pacers organization, I feel like there's a lot of common things between how I play and things that they like to do, so that's why it was a place I kind of wanted to go to."
The Pacers were one of the organizations Lipsey worked out for and interviewed with during the pre-draft process. He reportedly worked out for at least 10 NBA teams.
He also participated in the NBA G League Combine and the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
It can be difficult for players to stand out during the draft process, where raw athleticism and elite measurables can sometimes impress scouts more than collegiate success.
Lipsey is best known for his penchant for defense and making hustle plays. A winning player and a valued leader, those attributes may not always show in the brief moments that prospects get to audition for scouts.
Despite that, Lipsey wasn't discouraged throughout the process.
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"You're kind of just thrown into a group of guys and you don't know how each other play, and all those things," Lipsey said. "The chemistry is not there, so those situations are kind of tough, but at the end of the day, I think people know who I am as a player.
"One thing that I can control is my effort, my talk and my defense, and those are really the things that I feel like I can contribute at the next level, so not putting too much pressure on it to go out there and perform, but just doing what I do."
While he was hopeful to get drafted in the second round, he knew an undrafted free agent deal was the likely scenario, especially once it came time for the last few picks of the draft.
He had several Exhibit 10 deals to sift through before ultimately choosing the Pacers.
It also helps that Indiana has several ties to the state of Iowa. Former Iowa State star Tyrese Haliburton is a two-time NBA All-Star and the franchise headliner. Pacers scout Michael Born is also a former Cyclone.
Current Pacers coach Rick Carlisle once came to Iowa, when he was the coach at Dallas, to sign Ames native Harrison Barnes to the Mavericks, while Barnes was running a basketball camp in July 2016.
Lipsey frequently attended Barnes' camps when he was younger, so it's possible he was there that same day Carlisle was in the building.
Carlisle also helped sell Lipsey on the Pacers when it came time for him to decide on his next step.
"I talked to him, and he wanted me to come there and compete, so just having the head coach call you kind of shows the interest that they have," Lipsey said, also recalling coach T.J. Otzelberger's advice that the first teams to reach out are often the most interested. "That's really a big part of why I wanted to go there."
Lipsey was a legend at Iowa State, earning All-Big 12 honors and Big 12 All-Defensive accolades three times each. He was also named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year and CSC Division I Academic All-American of the Year as a senior.
He holds program records for career steals (314) and games started (137). He racked up 1,507 points over his four years as a Cyclone.
Now, he hopes to create a name for himself in the NBA.
If Lipsey impresses the Pacers, Indiana can upgrade his contract.
Based on performance, the Exhibit 10 deal can be potentially converted to a two-way deal, which would allow Lipsey to split time between the NBA and the Pacers' G-League affiliate.
It's also possible that he goes even further and makes the Pacers' 15-man roster, which would upgrade the deal to a one-year, standard minimum contract.
"As a kid, I always put on my paper in school that I wanted to be an NBA player, so just one step closer to getting out there on the court and reaching the goals that I set a long time ago," Lipsey said. "One step closer, and got a few more steps to go."
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Former Iowa State star Tamin Lipsey hopes to wow Indiana Pacers
Continue reading...
