Iowa State aims to blend bonding with blocked shots on forthcoming Bahamas trip

AMES — They’ll come together for a team meal. They’ll sail together on a catamaran tour.

Other than that, Iowa State’s men’s basketball players will mostly be free to roam around the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas Friday through next Thursday — while also playing competitive games, of course.

“As much as anything, you want that unity, that team building, that chemistry,” Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “It’s really important. It’s something we value a lot. It was also important that we had quality games.

“A lot of times you go on trips and — again, there’s still a lot of variables, you don’t know (much about) the teams we’re gonna play — but from what we understand, it should be some good competition.”

ISU will play the Bahamas Select Team, Zalgiris-2 (Lithuania) and Obras Basket (Argentina) during its six-day trip built to blend sun, fun and deeper bonding for a team that added three skilled transfer guards along with a top-10 recruiting class.

“I’m looking forward to just playing against somebody else,” said Curtis Jones, who is one of those three transfer guards. “We’ve been going at it this whole summer, so (we’re) finally getting to play against somebody else and see how all the had work we put in this summer will come together.”

It’s melded nicely so far. ISU used elite defense to reach the NCAA tournament in Otzelberger’s first two seasons — including a Sweet 16 appearance — but now features several players who are encouraged to hunt their own shots because of how adept they are at making them.

“There (is) a lot of good scoring right here, but nobody’s selfish with it,” said Jones, who averaged 15 points, 4.8 rebounds and shot 36 percent from 3-point range last season for Buffalo. “We’re all taking shots that the coaches want us to take, things like that, so it’s been nice.

“Everybody’s been pretty efficient with it, so it’s been real good.”

Jones, along with fellow backcourt transfers Jackson Paveletzke (Wofford) and Keshon Gilbert (UNLV), shot 36 percent or better from long range last season. Paveletzke shot 39.3 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman and 49.3 percent overall. He also shares a strong connection with top-40 recruit and fellow Wisconsinite Milan Momcilovic.

“Milan’s my guy,” Paveletzke said. “Growing up we kind of played against each other, playing up and stuff, and we played a couple times in high school. So I was really excited to finally get here with him and create kind of a tighter bond.”

That’s what trips like this are designed to do, of course. The competition matters, but the cooperative elements that broaden and undergird trust matter much more. ISU’s already feeling positive about both of those things and traveling together overseas tends to amp up and solidify the good vibes.

“It’s kind of that blend of, ‘Hey, there are some things that we have to do here and we’re going to do together, that we’re gonna embrace,’” Otzelberger said. “And then giving them a little bit of that autonomy to do some (other) things, too.”

Maybe snorkeling or commandeering a jet ski? Those are on Cyclone senior big man Robert Jones’ potential to-do list — and he’s hoping to spot some dolphins, as well.

“That’s my favorite animal,” the 6-foot-10, 250-pound senior said.

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