Last season Jake Sullivan was looking up to older players for guidance and leadership.

This season much of the ISU men’s basketball team is looking to Sullivan for that same kind of direction. Only problem is, Sullivan is just a sophomore and doesn’t have all the answers.

“It’s obviously very tough, but it’s also something you learn from,” Sullivan said of his leadership role. “It’s going to help me more next year and more the following year instead having to learn on the fly my senior year. It’s a real good experience.”

But when it comes time for Sullivan to seek out advice, he looks toward the older and more wise.

“I’m always looking to the coaches, coach [Larry] Eustachy,” Sullivan said. “If I have my own problem, my dad. I always talk to him often, kind of a different perspective away from the team.”

Perhaps the biggest impact Sullivan has made for his team is on the floor, where that leadership has to come through even stronger.

He is the team’s second leading scorer at 16.4 points per game and one of the nation’s best free-throw (117-130, 90 percent) and three-point shooters (60 of 126, 48 percent).

“He’s taken on a whole different role,” Eustachy said. “Last year he was a role player, and this year he’s asked to be one of the main guys. He’s been a target far more than he was last year, and I think he’s handled it well.”

Eustachy is impressed with the improvement in many aspects of Sullivan’s game, especially with how much attention he is getting from defenses this year.

“He’s had some tough games because he’s been around the league once now so they can really key on him,” Eustachy said. “He doesn’t let his shot influence his game, he’s played through some tough shooting nights because of how he’s being defended.”

When Sullivan first came to Iowa State last year, much was said about the work ethic of both him and fellow sophomore Shane Power. Countless nights and extended practice hours of shooting and working on their games is what helped with the team’s success last season.

“It’s about the same. We still just work real hard,” Sullivan said about this season.

“There’s little you can do in the season, you stay after and get some extra shots and things like that. During the off-season is where a lot of the improvement will come.”

Improvement has come to Iowa State lately, winning three of its last five with the losses coming to two of the country’s top five teams. But there is still work to be done for Sullivan to be satisfied.

“I set expectations for both myself and the team and I think we’re meeting them to an extent,” Sullivan said. “My goal for this team was to get to the postseason. We’re still a few games away from that, we have a shot to go to the NIT but it’s going to take a pretty good run here at the end.”

Sullivan also set expectations for himself before the season started, something he uses to stay motivated.

“I have a lot of weaknesses I need to work on, but I’ve been happy with my play all in all,” Sullivan said. “I just wish I could have helped this team win more.”

Sullivan has helped his team at times this season, knocking down clutch free throws and making plays. But with the game on the line, Sullivan has admitted to getting nervous.

“When a game is getting tight like that I just try to put myself in my driveway shooting free throws or something, I try to block everything out,” Sullivan said. “Usually I don’t get to nervous but when you’ve only won a couple games all year, you start to get nervous a little bit more.”

Going to Kansas City for the Big 12 tournament, the Cyclones have set their sights high, knowing what they have to do to win games.

“We need to defend for 40 minutes,” Sullivan said. “I think we defend for 25 to 30 minutes extremely well. We have that 10-minute lapse that’s been a problem all year long.”

Eustachy agrees with Sullivan and is trying to take things from the conference games the Cyclones have won.

“We have to execute,” Eustachy said. “Our four best executing games we’ve won. When we execute well we have a chance. We need to execute the way we play the game, defending right and rebounding right.”

Eustachy said practices have been good for his team over the last few weeks so he will try to keep the intensity up.

“I think the focus is the same as it has been since the beginning,” Eustachy said. “Just trying to get better and trying to put a game out there that gives you a chance to beat the opponent.”

Though Eustachy knows things haven’t been easy for his team, he remains as optimistic and positive as much as he can.

“I think the players feed off the coach a lot,” he said. “Obviously I myself am really used to winning. So are all these other guys. We’re all kind of going through a losing experience for the first time, but we’ll all be better for it.”

Sullivan feels the Cyclones can still accomplish some things and make a good run in the tournament and he said the team is very focused. Eustachy has set the team’s plan for the tournament.

“Whoever we draw, we’ll be the underdog in Kansas City, so our mindset is to just take it a day at time as they come along,” Eustachy said. “We’ve tried in practice and we’ve tried in games, we just don’t have the experience and enough man power right now to hang with those teams that we’ve been losing to.”