Killyan Toure, please have a seat.
The freshman from Pamiers, France came to Ames last fall with expectations and then promptly exceeded all of them. Jon Rothstein just named him one of five Big 12 breakout players to watch heading into next season. If you watched Iowa State this year that comes as absolutely no surprise.
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The Freshman Season
Toure started all 37 games as a freshman tying the school record for starts by a first year player. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 25.3 minutes per game. His 54 steals were the fifth most by a freshman in program history. One of only 11 freshmen in the entire country to put up those numbers across the board.
The defensive impact was immediate and undeniable. Tamin Lipsey, the best perimeter defender in the country, called Toure the best defender he had ever played with. When the greatest on ball defender in college basketball says that about a freshman you pay attention.
The Tournament Moment
If you needed one moment to understand what Killyan Toure is capable of look no further than the first round against Tennessee State. He finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. The first freshman in NCAA Tournament history to reach those numbers in a single game. Not this decade. Not this era. Ever.
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The Lipsey Blueprint
Here is where it gets really interesting for next season. Tamin Lipsey shot just 20 percent from three his freshman year. By his sophomore season he was in the mid 30s and he never looked back, developing into a reliable perimeter threat.
Toure shot 31 percent from three as a freshman (which is higher than I would’ve guessed). He is already ahead of where Lipsey was at the same stage of development. With an offseason of work and the kind of defensive and finishing foundation he already has, a jump to 37 or 38 percent from three next season is not just possible. It is the logical next step. If that happens Killyan Toure becomes one of the most complete two way guards in the Big 12 and Rothstein’s breakout pick looks like the most obvious call of the offseason.
The Big Picture
Iowa State loses a lot this offseason. The names at the top of the roster are gone and the questions about next year are there. But Killyan Toure coming back for his sophomore season under Otz with a full year of Big 12 experience behind him is the single most exciting thing about the 2026-27 Cyclones.
The kid from France is hopefully just getting started.
