Joshua Jefferson's versatility will be key for Iowa State against Texas Tech

AMES — Iowa State men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger’s mentored a handful of All-Americans.

None of them have been quite like Joshua Jefferson.

The fourth-ranked Cyclones’ dexterous and dominant 6-9, 240-pound senior forward does so many things well, it’s difficult to highlight a single positive trait above all the others.

But Otzelberger picked one rooted more in determination than raw talent.

“The thing that I feel like stands out the most is his defensive intensity,” said Otzelberger, whose team (24-4, 11-4 Big 12) faces No. 16 Texas Tech (21-7, 11-4) at 3 p.m. Saturday (CBS) at Hilton Coliseum. “Our team is at its best when Joshua’s flying around on defense. He’s really taken a leadership role and committed to that.”

Jefferson’s also doggedly worked to improve his body, shore up his stamina, and become a focal point on both ends of the floor.

He can guard every position, Otzelberger said, and he’s as hard to guard as any frontcourt player in the Big 12 — as his numbers demonstrate.

Jefferson’s the only Power Five-level player in the country averaging, as many as 16.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. And only six Division I players in the past 51 years — including Larry Bird and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway — have matched or exceeded those numbers for a full season.

Jefferson’s also notched his first two career triple-double this season, which further illustrates his ability to find open teammates when opponents collapse on him in the paint.

“I think the ball has energy, and when guys see the ball moving around, it’s just gonna make them play more free,” said Jefferson, who’s scored in double figures in 34 consecutive games dating back to last season. “So when everybody has a chance to touch the ball, it’s gonna give them more confidence.”

The Red Raiders will roll into Hilton with that same self-assured mindset despite losing regaining conference player of the year JT Toppin to a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 17. They’ve won both games since Toppin tore his ACL in a loss at Arizona State and feature one of the nation’s premier scorers in guard Christian Anderson, who averages 19.6 points per game.

“Their coaches do an unbelievable job offensively of adapting and adjusting to their personnel — and they’ve already done that in a short period of time,” said Otzelberger, whose team is ensconced in a four-way tie for second place in the Big 12 standings. “They’re very intentional with their offensive actions and movement, where they want to get the basketball.”

The Cyclones, of course, will strive to make the Red Raiders uncomfortable by deploying their trademark ball pressure and various traps. That identity-based strategy worked for ISU on last season’s lone meeting with Texas Tech in Lubbock. Jefferson scored at the end of regulation to force overtime and the Cyclones forced 15 turnovers en route to an 85-84 road win.

And that remains the recipe for success on Saturday against the Toppin-less Red Raiders.

“Obviously, losing that guy has a big impact, but they’re still a really good team, a really well-coached team,” ISU’s senior defensive captain Nate Heise said. “It’s really just do what we did when we last played at home. Feed off the crowd’s energy and pressure the ball, create turnovers, then get out on offense and play for each other.”

That’s Jefferson’s specialty as a trusted All-American-caliber point forward. He’s as good at facilitating as he is at finishing — and takes more pride in the former than the latter.

“It just makes me happy,” he said. “I find the most fun in getting other guys shots and seeing them succeed. So whenever I’m able to do that, it makes me much more happy.”

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