AMES — The Iowa State men’s basketball team will begin the 2026-27 season without one of its most experienced young guards after sophomore Killyan Toure underwent surgery Friday for a right shoulder injury and is expected to remain out until January.
Iowa State announced August 21, 2026, that Toure’s surgery was successful.
The injury occurred away from Ames while Toure was serving as one of the top 15 college counselors selected to participate in NBA star Damian Lillard’s Formula Zero Elite Camp.
Toure had previously completed what Iowa State described as a successful summer session with the Cyclones.
“This is an unfortunate setback for Killyan,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “He has been an important part of our program and we’re looking forward to having him back for the second half of the season. Right now, our focus is on his health and recovery.”
The January timetable means Iowa State is expected to play the bulk, if not all, of its nonconference schedule without Toure before potentially getting him back for the heart of Big 12 play.
That is a significant absence for a player who became a fixture in Otzelberger’s lineup almost immediately after arriving in Ames.
Toure started all 37 games as a freshman during the 2025-26 season, tying the Iowa State school record for starts by a freshman.
He averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Iowa State said he was one of only 11 freshmen nationally to reach all four of those statistical averages.
Toure also became the 26th freshman in Iowa State history to start a season opener and the fourth to do so under Otzelberger.
Defense quickly became one of his calling cards.
Toure recorded 54 steals during his freshman campaign, the fifth-highest single-season total by a freshman in Cyclone history.
His offensive game also began showing flashes of what Iowa State hopes will become a much larger role.
Toure’s first major breakout came against Creighton at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas, where he scored 20 points.
But his biggest performance came when the games mattered most.
In his NCAA Tournament debut in March, Toure exploded for 25 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as Iowa State demolished Tennessee State, 108-74, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
According to Iowa State, Toure became the first freshman in NCAA Tournament history to produce at least 25 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a game.
The Cyclones followed that victory by defeating Kentucky to reach the Sweet 16 before their 29-win season came to an end against Tennessee in the Sweet 16.
Toure’s value could also be seen in Iowa State’s record when he was heavily involved.
The Cyclones went 16-1 when he scored in double figures, 21-2 when he recorded at least two assists and 14-3 when he collected multiple steals.
His absence now forces Otzelberger and his staff to adjust the backcourt rotation before the new season begins.
Iowa State opens exhibition play against Creighton at Hilton Coliseum on October 18 before visiting Northwestern for another exhibition October 25.
The regular season begins November 2 against Memphis at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
The Cyclones also face a demanding November trip to the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas before a December schedule that includes Purdue at Hilton Coliseum and the annual Cy-Hawk battle against Iowa in Iowa City.
If Toure’s rehabilitation remains on schedule, the sophomore could return just as the Cyclones enter the portion of the season where conference positioning and another NCAA Tournament résumé begin to take shape.
For now, Iowa State will have to navigate the opening months without a player who went from freshman starter to one of the program’s most promising returning pieces in less than a year.