Three Cyclones Earn NABC All-District First Team Honors

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Iowa State Cyclones were named to the NABC All-Central District First Team, announced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches on Tuesday.

Seniors Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson, along with junior Milan Momcilovic, were named to the first team. Iowa State was the only school in the district with three selections to the first team. Lipsey was also a first team selection in 2024.

Lipsey, an All-Big 12 Second Team selection, is averaging 13.3 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He is the only Power Conference player in the country to average those numbers and the first Cyclone to do so since Tyrese Haliburton in 2019-20. His 3.47 assist-to-turnover ratio is the seventh-best in school history, while his 2.19 steals per game is ninth in school history. He ranks 11^th in school history with 68 steals this season, while his five games with five-plus steals are the most in school history. One of the best Cyclones of all-time, Lipsey is the Iowa State career leader in steals with 305, while he ranks sixth in assists with 585. His 134 career starts are the most in program history, while his 96 career wins are the fifth-most in program history.

Jefferson, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, continues to be Mr. Do-It-All for the Cyclones. He is the first player in Big 12 history to turn in multiple triple-doubles in Big 12 play. He's averaging 16.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He's the only Power Conference player in the country to average those numbers. Only five players have done so in an entire season in the country going back to 1974-75, with no one in the Big 12 having accomplished it. Jefferson has scored in double figures in all 34 games this season, the third-most games in double figures in a season in school history. His streak of 40-straight games going back to last season ranks as the second-longest in the nation. His 167 assists this season are tied for the 19^th-most in program history, while his 276 over the last two seasons are the 18^th-most in program history for a career.

Momcilovic is regarded as the best shooter in the country and has proved it all season. He's 127-of-256 from 3-point range, setting the Iowa State single-season mark in 3-pointers that was previously held by Dedric Willoughby with 102. His 127 3-pointers are also the second-most in a season in Big 12 history. He's on pace to set the Cyclone single-season 3-point percentage record as well, shooting 49.6 percent on the year. He made 64 3-pointers in Big 12 play, tied for the third-most in a season in league history. He has 11 games this season, and 13 in his career, with five or more made 3-pointers, both the most in school history. He is one of four Cyclones that have made 250 3-pointers in their career. Currently riding a 19-game streak with a made 3-pointer, he is the only player in school history with multiple streaks over 19 games.

The Cyclones return to action Friday, as second-seeded Iowa State faces 15th-seeded Tennessee State in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament in St. Louis. Tipoff is set for 1:50 p.m. on CBS.

Central District

First Team
Nate Ament, Tennessee
Robbie Avila, Saint Louis
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt

Second Team

Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
Ryan Conwell, Louisville
Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Fred King, Murray State
Tyler Lundblade, Belmont
Rienk Mast, Nebraska
Mark Mitchell, Missouri
Teagan Moore, Western Ky.
Otega Oweh, Kentucky

Coach of the Year: Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska

Three Cyclones Earn NABC All-District First Team Honors

Players Mentioned

Joshua Jefferson

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

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Three Cyclones Earn NABC All-District First Team Honors

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Players Mentioned

Joshua Jefferson

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

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