In this weekās installment of Basketball Across Minnesota, Marcus Fuller catches up with Cretin-Derham Hall graduate Curtis Jones, whoās had quite a journey to the top of Division I.
Jones went the junior college route and played at Buffalo, before transferring to Iowa State. The Cyclones climbed to the No. 2 ranking in the country this month, and Jones has been a big part of their rise.
Last season, he came off the bench to score 26 points for Iowa State in a Sweet 16 game against Illinois.
From the story: āJones has been a starter three times in 17 games for Iowa State this season, but heās the Big 12 leading scorer while averaging 21 points through six league games. A three-game stretch went like this: 23 points vs. Utah, 26 points vs. Texas Tech in OT and 25 points vs. Kansas.
āI still come in and play 30 minutes,ā Jones said. āItās not really that big of a deal in my opinion. I just come in with the mindset of attacking, making the right plays and taking whatās there. Iām very confident, so I feel like thereās a lot there for me.ā
Also in this weekās BAM:
** Fullerās Five ā Shoutouts from Marcus for on-court brilliance, including Gophers sophomore Grace Grocholski, who scored 27 points in a comeback win at Northwestern.
** Numbers game ā Three stats basketball fans should know, including a career points milestone for Paige Bueckers.
--Joe Christensen, Sports Desk team leader