In another life, Jones was a 6-foot-3, 160-pound shooting guard out of the Twin Cities who had zero Division I or Division II offers. Sure, he was blessed with a silky-smooth jumper (Jones says he could shoot since he came out of the womb), but guys with that type of build are a dime a dozen in the high school ranks.

Curtis Jones has become the lynchpin for a deep, talented Iowa State team that continues to pass nearly every test this season.