Curtis Jones' production off the bench is key for Iowa State men’s basketball

AMES — He sheds his warm-ups and heads to the scorer’s table. The timing’s almost like clockwork, and Curtis Jones knows his mission: Be as efficient and impactful as possible.

Then the hot-shooting Iowa State guard simply plays his role — night in, night out — on both ends of the floor.

“I think it’s just I’ll do whatever is kind of asked of me,” said Jones, who averages a team-high-tying 16.3 points off the bench for the No. 3 Cyclones, who face No. 25 Baylor (9-3, 1-0) in Saturday’s 1 p.m. men’s basketball Big 12 home opener (CBS) at Hilton Coliseum. “And what’s asked of me right now is really just be as aggressive as possible. Actually, really just take what’s there.”

So far, that’s been just about everything for Jones, who learned recently he might be granted another season of eligibility based on a recent court ruling the NCAA is appealing. For now, it appears Jones and any collegiate athlete who previously competed at a non-NCAA institution and would otherwise be exhausting his or her eligibility this season, could have the option of coming back for one more season.

That’s the farthest thing from the former JUCO and Buffalo transfer’s mind, though — and for good reason. ISU (11-1, 1-0) is riding its second-longest home win streak in program history (25), and the teams that crafted the longest string of success at home — in the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons — will be honored at Saturday’s game. So a nod at the past and deep focus on the present commands Jones’ rapt attention, and he’s not allowing his mind to wander into what-if territory.

“Nobody’s told me (I) could for sure come back, so, I mean, if it happens, great,” said Jones, who has led the Cyclones in scoring five times this season. “Whatever happens, I’m just gonna continue to do what I’m doing.”

That, ISU head coach T.J. Otzelberger said, hinges merely on staying on course.

“(He’s) probably our most consistent (scorer), and to have that coming off the bench, gives you a huge spark,” said Otzelberger, who’s team has won four of its past five meetings with the Bears. “It is something that’s really unique for other teams in their preparation to be able to say, hey, look, the guy who’s leading them in scoring and 3-pointers made is coming off the bench. So how do you factor that in? (So) it’s not just the scoring and production. It’s also the activity. He is flying around offensively.”

Jones’ ability to play his role to perfection dovetails nicely into his teammates’ capacity for doing the same thing. Backup big man Brandton Chatfield collected seven offensive rebounds against the Colorado and positively affected several more — one of which led to one of Jones’ deep 3-pointers.

His fellow guards, Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey, provide scoring punch and disruption on the defense end, and forward Joshua Jefferson contributes a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor — including a program-record-tying eight steals in Boulder. Couple all of that with Milan Momcilovic’s wide-ranging talents, Dishon Jackson’s powerful presence in the paint, and Nate Heise’s toughness off the bench, and everyone in ISU’s rotation is starring in their respective roles.

“I always feel like it’s the iron sharpens iron (saying),” Otzelberger said. “When you have more guys that have the ability to do it, it makes the others play better.”

Especially, Jones, who Otzelberger described as “a no-ego guy.” He just checks in and plays with a ruthless enthusiasm that’s difficult to contain, let alone suppress for an extended period of time.

“I know the rhythm,” said Jones, who has pulled into a tie for 20th all-time at ISU in made 3-pointers with 106. “(I) try to come out with a lot of energy right away.”

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