Cyclones' Dejean-Jones accepts different role in advance of Big 12 Tournament

KANSAS CITY — Bryce Dejean-Jones walked into Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg's office, just looking for conversation.

It was the midpoint of the Big 12 schedule and Dejean-Jones had just come off the bench for the first time all season. The conversation ranged from a variety of topics like school and life, but ultimately circled back to basketball.

Dejean-Jones wanted Hoiberg to know he was ready to accept his new role. He just wanted to win.

'I just didn't want him to think anything was going to be wrong with me, or that I would be detrimental to the team,' Dejean-Jones said. 'I just wanted him to know I'm on board and that I'll do whatever it takes to win.'

As Iowa State enters Big 12 play Thursday at 6 p.m., Dejean-Jones has been true to his word and embraced his unfamiliar role. His most recent performance at TCU produced 15 points on three shots, five rebounds and three assists.

The fifth-year senior's transition to coming off the bench isn't likely to be easy, but Hoiberg has seen maturity out of Dejean-Jones. The conversation Hoiberg and Dejean-Jones had shortly after he was benched has carried weight beyond the time spent across the desk from one another.

'It took him a couple games, I think, to get him acclimated to that, but he's been really good,' Hoiberg said. 'He's been really important in our game at Texas, I thought he was the player of the game for us. In our game at TCU, you could argue the same thing.'

Success for the No. 2 seed Cyclones (22-8, 12-6) goes beyond just Dejean-Jones production off the bench. Ask Hoiberg who the most important players are, and he'll say it's the bench that could ultimately determine how far the team goes.

Iowa State players share Hoiberg's sentiment.

'It's a good boost that we need because deep in the tournament, you can't beat teams just five guys getting double figures,' said sophomore point guard Monte Morris. 'That's only 50 points or 60 at most so when guys come here and chip in, it helps all the way around.'

Sophomore Matt Thomas and junior Abdel Nader are likely to be called upon just like Dejean-Jones as Iowa State readies to defend its Big 12 tournament title. The Cyclones will play No. 7 seed Texas on ESPNU at 6 p.m.

NOTE: Fred Hoiberg on ISU Athletics Director Jamie Pollard

'I texted with him a little bit the night it happened. He was talking about wanting to be here. 'My goal is to be at the Big 12 tournament.' Obviously this was before the tests the next morning where they found out that he was going to have the bypass surgery.'

'The next thing I knew, I asked (ISU Associate Athletics Director) David Harris the next night, 'When's Jamie going in? What day this week?' And he said, 'He's in there now.' That was a shock. I know today, from having that experience, he's not going to remember much. Tomorrow they're going to ask him to stand up and he's going to say, 'I can't.' I remember all that stuff.'

'He's lucky. He said he was embarrassed that he was getting all that attention. He had those symptoms in front of people and I said, 'Hell you've got to feel lucky that you were there in that setting and to have the EMTs right there and to get him to the hospital as quickly as he did.' It sounds like his daughter was the one that was an absolute rock star in getting the EMTs over there.'

'Jamie Pollard is in as good of shape as anybody. He runs every day and he's got low body fat. It just shows heart disease doesn't discriminate. It can hit anybody at any time and anywhere. He's very fortunate to be where he is. That's when he'll realize once he gets out of the surgery. I hope to talk to him in the next few days and I'll try to help him out a little bit on what that recovery is like.'