Iowa State freshman Terrence Lewis staying patient in new ‘fast-paced’ environment

ANKENY — In his brief time on campus, Terrence Lewis has gotten a taste of just about everything the Iowa State's men's basketball roster has to offer.

If he wants to work on his quickness, particularly on defense, Lewis goes against Nick Weiler-Babb and Donovan Jackson. If he wants to work on the physical side of the game, and quicken his trigger, he faces Marial Shayok.

The YMCA Cap City League will be different competition than what Lewis will see once the season begins, but it is a place where he puts it all together.

'It's fast paced at the next level,' Lewis said. 'Everybody can move at a fast pace so you've got to have defense if you're on the court. I'm just working on my dribbling skills, my step back and stuff like that. Just working on everything I can right now.'

The jump to college, even if it's just at first, is a big one for freshmen. But Lewis, a four-star recruit from Milwaukee, Wis., has a knack for scoring. He averaged 26 points per game as a senior at Riverside, where he was coached by his father, Tyrone, and shot 77 percent from the field.

Lewis, a top-100 player by 247Sports, came to Ames with a well-regarded resume. The scary thing for opponents, Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said, is how much the 18-year-old can still grow.

'Loves to work, loves to get in the gym, son of a high school coach, so he's been well coached,' Prohm said. 'He's got great length and size at that wing position and he's got a skillset that he can really, really shoot the basketball.

'He can play multiple positions and I think he's got a chance to come in and do some very good things and have a great career here.'

At 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, Lewis — who was also the top-ranked prep recruit in Wisconsin — made 120 3-pointers his last two seasons at a 55.8 percent rate. His length and ability to stretch the floor is an asset, but is game goes beyond his proficiency from outside.

Freshman point guard Lindell Wigginton, who has been playing for Team Canada in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup the last couple weeks, sees Lewis as a guy that can keep defenses honest.

'He's also good in transition too,' Wigginton told The Gazette in April. 'Many people probably don't look at him as that type of player. They look at him as a shooter, but he's pretty good in transition too. He's got a big body and can body people up so he's going to be a good addition to this team.

'Just penetrating and kicking to him, I know he's going to make shots for me.'

A ramped-up academic schedule and more intense style of basketball awaited Lewis upon his arrival. The specific challenges in academics differ from those on the court, but at their core, they really aren't so different.

The one word that freshmen don't want to typically hear is patience. But it's become Lewis' mantra in these early days.

'Just being patient, being focused,' Lewis said. 'Everything is going to be about the process for me. But at the same time I'm a basketball player and I've got to man up, do what I'm supposed to do as a person and player.'

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