Led by Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, How Iowa State Ascended on to College Basketball's Radar
n the heartland of Ames, IA, a basketball symphony is reaching its crescendo. The Iowa State Cyclones, long overshadowed in the national spotlight, have emerged as a legitimate powerhouse, their sights set firmly on college basketball’s highest honor, a national championship. While every team in the country began the season with the dream of walking up the ladder and cutting down the nets in front of a sold out crowd in San Antonio on April 7, Iowa State is on a short list of programs with the means to actually do it. Orchestrated by head coach TJ Otzelberger, this year’s squad embodies a culture of resilience, camaraderie, toughness, discipline, authenticity and above all else, confidence. But to understand how this year’s Cyclones have gotten to within an arm’s reach of the pinnacle, you must first understand where they’ve been.
Last year’s Cyclones won the team’s most conference games since 2001, finished second in the Big 12 standings and capped it all off with a blowout win over the then-No.1 ranked Houston Cougars in the Big 12 Tournament Championship. Then came the NCAA Tournament. They’d make easy work of their first two opponents, before losing a nail-biter to Illinois in the Sweet Sixteen. Alas, it was back to the drawing board.
The scars of last season’s abrupt exit from the Tournament still linger. For many, such a setback could be the harbinger of decline, but not for Iowa State. Under Coach Otzelberger’s vigilant eye, the Cyclones turned disappointment into a silver lining. Every summer workout, every film session, was imbued with a singular purpose: the get back. And anybody who knows anything about college basketball knows this one thing: If you want to make a deep run with a chance to win it all, it starts with your guards. Luckily for Iowa State, they’re led by a pair of killers in Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, who are proving to be one of the best backcourts in the nation.
Jones, a Minnesota native, is the epitome of what this Iowa State program represents. The 6-4 do-it-all swingman has a knack for putting the ball in the rim with his feathery touch and plays with a contagious joy and spirit that permeates the whole squad. He didn’t have a single offer coming out of high school and would end up starting his college career at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, IA. After one standout season, he’d take his talents to Buffalo University, where he’d play for two years, en route to becoming an All-MAC player, before ultimately transferring to Iowa State last year.
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