It’s hard to believe that just a few short weeks ago, Jiri Hubalek was the goat of the ISU men’s basketball team.

There’s been a big change.

Hubalek bought into ISU coach Greg McDermott’s system, and the change has been like night and day.

Hubalek performed on both the offensive and defensive side of the court in Iowa State’s 71-62 win over Nebraska in Hilton Coliseum Wednesday night.

He scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, and also pulled down 11 rebounds for his third straight double-double.

He was also effective on defense, keeping Nebraska center Aleks Maric from establishing himself. Maric, who scored 37 points last season against the Cyclones, poured in 20, two more than his season average, but was never a real factor inside.

“It was a challenge,” Hubalek said. “He’s a great player.

“He came down here last year and did things he wasn’t supposed to do on our home court. Coach made a great plan to try to limit his touches. It was a team effort.”

Hubalek’s performance was much-needed for an ISU team that is thin inside.

After missing the first six games of the season because of a run-in with the NCAA, Hubalek made his season debut against Northern Iowa. It didn’t go well; he scored 12 points on 4-of-18 shooting.

Things didn’t get much better, as his minutes steadily decreased.

It hit rock bottom against Ohio State. Hubalek played only five minutes, missed all three of his shots and was struggling to find himself in McDermott’s system.

That’s when the light came on.

“It was right after Christmas,” McDermott remembers. “He and I went at it pretty good in practice and I told him, ‘At some point you’re going to have to please me. I’m the one who decides if you go in the game or not, and I’m the one who decides how much you’re going to play. So if I were you, I’d start listening to what I want you to do.'”

Since then, Hubalek has been on a roll. In his last three games, he has averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds a game.

“Jiri wants to win. He finally understands that he can do things on the block that nobody on our team can do,” McDermott said. “That’s what his role needs to be. He understands now that he’s an important part of our offense on the block.

“And now we have him tricked into thinking he can play defense too.”

The best proof of Hubalek’s turnaround came late in the win over the Huskers.

With the game already in hand, McDermott took his big man out of the game.

As Hubalek walked to the sideline, he was given a standing ovation from the Hilton crowd.

“That’s why I came from overseas to the United States . to Hilton Magic – for the great support from the fans,” Hubalek, a native of the Czech Republic, said. “That’s what it’s about. When you’re working hard in practice, that’s what you’re thinking about: how it’s going to pay off in [the game]?”