Iowa State’s Donovan Jackson finds his niche on defensive end

AMES - Donovan Jackson found his niche.

The Iowa State men's basketball team boasts a number of offensive threats - Jackson included - but where the junior point guard can set himself apart is on the other end.

Jackson's prowess on the defensive end in a four-guard lineup, and his tendency to pick up point guards full court, is where he can be most effective. It gives the Cyclones (10-4, 2-1) a wrinkle that isn't found in every backcourt.

'I just time dribbles,” Jackson said. 'Like if you do a crossover, it probably takes a second or two to get into the next hand. Or if he takes a power dribble and does an iso it probably takes about three seconds or a little shorter than that. I just try to time it up.”

That knack for being a ball hawk was something the Milwaukee native picked up in high school and on his AAU circuit. If Jackson didn't pick guys up full court, that meant running sprints in practice. Ever since then it's been a part of his game.

An obvious effort on defense is exactly what drew Iowa State coach Steve Prohm to Jackson early on in his recruiting process. Prohm said the first game he saw Jackson play, the Iowa Western guard made about nine 3-pointers. But defense, more than anything else, is what he walked away thinking about.

'Defensively he's been terrific for us,” Prohm said. 'He's really guarded and can guard the other team's point guard. He's a gnat on the ball and really, really active. That's something I thought he could do and one of the things I really liked about him is A: his ability to shoot, but B: he can defend the way we want to.”

Jackson's 4.7 points per game, 24 total assists and five total steals aren't eye-popping, but the things Prohm has been keen on don't necessarily show up in the stat sheet. It's about finding your role within a system and staying the course, something Jackson had to figure out through the nonconference season.

When Jackson pledged to Iowa State, he did so with the anticipation Monte Morris and Naz Mitrou-Long would be off to pursue professional basketball opportunities. When they both returned, he had to figure out a way to fit in among the crowded room of guards.

'I am a competitor,” Jackson said. 'Everybody here is a competitor and wants to play so I can't blame (Prohm for not playing me early on). We do have some good seniors that are leading the way right now so I can't be mad.”

In a win against Texas Tech and a narrow loss at Baylor, Jackson was plugged into the lineup for longer stretches. When Iowa State goes small, he gives it another capable ball handler alongside Morris. No part of his game has shined more than his defense, though.

'We need him, we've always needed him and he knows that now,” Mitrou-Long said. 'I think he's accepted that and really found ways to get his assists, get his points, to get his defensive stops and ultimately contribute to the team.

'I credit Donovan a lot because he's been awesome. He's been as good as anybody for us and for this team in our recent success.”

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