Down in Dorothy’s land of Kansas this weekend, a junior guard continued to show brilliance. It was a junior who traveled many miles from the coast to the Midwest to treat Iowans to a show for the last three years. A guard who is the focal point of every defense, yet continues to put up numbers that would make LeBron James blush. A leader who has carried young teammates and turned them into better players. A player who has led the Cyclones to an NIT semi-final as a freshman, an NCAA tournament berth as a sophomore and 14 wins so far as a junior. And no, I’m not talking about Curtis Stinson or Will Blalock.

Lyndsey Medders has been every bit as good as either of them.

Medders took another step toward finding herself on a banner hung from the Hilton rafters with her performance Saturday. And that step was with a gimpy foot.

After missing three games with a bad wheel, Medders was listed as an “emergency replacement” going into a must-win at Kansas State this weekend. It was obvious Medders wasn’t anywhere near full strength, but by looking at the stat sheet you would have had no idea: 34 minutes, 26 points, seven assists. Not to mention 17 of her points were in the second half and she made 9-of-10 free throws in the final minute of play to ice the win. In that last minute, Medders hauled down a critical rebound to hold off the Wildcats.

This isn’t anything new for Medders; she has been making plays ever since she came to Iowa State. It wasn’t an easy situation for Medders, who traveled several thousand miles from California, to come into. Her task was to replace the equally talented Lindsey Wilson, who scored the second-most points and dished out the most assists in ISU history. (I think coach Bill Fennelly should recruit a player named Lindsay next. It only makes sense.)

Medders wasn’t fazed by the spacious shoes to fill. In her collegiate debut she scored 19 points, and added five rebounds and three assists. Right away, she showcased her “Hollywood” flair and tendency for the spectacular. It is her calming influence, however, that will be remembered. For three years, Medders has been the constant for the Cyclones. Not much was expected for Fennelly’s team this year. They lost three starters, including guard Anne O’Neil and their best low-post threat Katie Robinette.

With Medders leading the way, however, the Cyclones have put together a very respectable season. At 14 wins and a 5-6 record in the Big 12, the Cyclones are within fighting distance of making the dance.

They wouldn’t be anywhere near that mark if it wasn’t for Medders.

In her last five games she has averaged 26 points. In four of those games she scored 26 points or more, and she dropped 14 assists, only the third-best total in ISU history for both men’s and women’s basketball. The 14 dimes put her one behind Jeff Hornacek and in a tie with Jamaal Tinsley – not bad company.

The Cyclones have a vital Valentine’s Day showdown Tuesday when Texas Tech travels north.

Get to Hilton early and give Medders – the nation’s leader in assists – and the rest of the Cyclones an assist of your own. Heck, bring your date, too.

– Brent Blum is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.