Iowa State basketball guard Killyan Toure steps up for Tamin Lipsey

LAS VEGAS — At the time Killyan Toure committed to Iowa State basketball, he was nowhere to be found on national recruiting rankings.

Well-known recruiting services, 247 Sports and ESPN, didn't list any stars next to his name. Rivals was the first to catch on, deeming him a three-star guard, but for the most part, he was an enigma.

"Killyan has tremendous basketball character, will, toughness, grit, he brought that to the table, and that's what attracted us to him," said head coach T.J. Otzelberger, thinking back to his first impressions of Toure. "The first time he was brought to our attention was probably two and a half years ago, when you saw on film, from a camp in Europe — just picking up full-court — the pride he takes defensively. It gives your team great energy, and it's something that really impacts winning."

Otzelberger's staff fell in love with his game and invested early.

Others are starting to feel that way, too.

Toure has been gradually changing the perception around his game, catching the eye of spectators and scouts with his hard-nosed defense, unlimited battery, playmaking and slashing ability.

He rose in the recruiting ranks and became a consensus four-star prospect by the time he moved stateside and completed his senior season of high school basketball at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.

Cyclone fans quickly grew to love the day-one starting true freshman guard, who carved out a role alongside well-accomplished senior Tamin Lipsey.

Now, with Lipsey designated as day-to-day with a groin injury and his return timetable, Toure is filling in at point guard.

He's gained plenty of applause from Iowa State fans, but now some is coming at a national level, especially after his season and game-high 20-point performance in the Cyclones' 78-60 win over Creighton at the Players Era Festival on Nov. 25.

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The Pamiers, France native won't be a secret for long. He first built his reputation on the defensive end of the floor in Europe, but he's continuing to evolve into more of a two-way weapon.

He flashed budding star potential with his athleticism, length and unrelenting play on both ends of the court. He shot 8-of-14, with four rebounds, one assist and one steal against Creighton on Tuesday.

"We were fortunate, but I also think there's a level of discipline and daily work that a guy like Tamin does that Killyan can come in as a freshman and see what that looks like, when you have an example that you can have that visual picture every day," Otzelberger said. "So, Killyan has done his part to continue to elevate himself."

He wowed Creighton and Iowa State fans alike with his acrobatic layups through traffic. Toure had a few dunks and soared high for a block from behind. His disruptive in-your-face defense made it hard for Creighton to sustain momentum on the scoring end.

"I'm no cheater, I like to play hard, 100% every day," Toure said before the start of the regular season. "Exhibition game, (regular) season game, I just play my game. That's why I play hard every time, do the best for the team. I will play 100% during the whole season."

So far, he's lived up to that promise.

Toure is averaging 8.6 points (fourth-most on the Cyclones), with 2.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

"What he does for as long as he does is really impressive," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. "He's an elite athlete, and he's tough as nails. He doesn't get tired, you can't wear into him. You attack him once with a screen, and he's coming back to fight you the next time, he sets the tone with it up top."

Although he's demonstrated a level of play that goes beyond his years on the court, off of it, there's a similar level of maturity that has helped him remain curious, focused on improvement and absorbing anything he can learn.

Losing Lipsey for any duration, no matter how long, is tough. But Toure alleviated some of that pain with his play.

Otzelberger expects him to remain ready to rise to the occasion.

"Killyan, out there, showed everything that he's learned from Tamin and put that into play," Otzelberger said. "I think there's no better way to honor someone you respect as much I know as he honors him than to go out there and have that performance, so it was great to see."

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: Iowa State basketball guard Killyan Toure steps up for Tamin Lipsey