Veteran transfer players for the Cyclone’s men’s basketball team talked about what they’ve done in the offseason to help the three new transfers adjust to T.J. Otzelberger’s system and what drove them to Iowa State.

An aspect that has been consistent in the Otzelberger era is the amount of success the program has had due to talented prospects from the transfer portal. From players such as Izaiah Brockington, Gabe Kalscheur, Jaren Holmes and Osun Osunniyi, the Cyclones have regularly brought in role players each year since Otzelberger joined the team in 2021 as the portal has continued its growth and importance over the last several years.

This year, the Cyclones added a trio of guards, senior Curtis Jones, junior Keshon Gilbert and sophomore Jackson Paveletzke, who have all had their respective success so far in their collegiate careers.

When it comes to bringing new players into his program, Otzelberger and his staff don’t just look at their performances when the lights are on but also their work ethic in practice and willingness to take the jump into one of the toughest conferences in the nation.

“We look for the character. We look for the work ethic. We look for guys with that chip on their shoulder that want to take on that next challenge,” Otzelberger said. “When you’re playing in the Big 12, the best league in the country, you know it’s a step up. If you work every single day to prepare yourself for that, you know you’re going to be successful, and we believe that’s going to be true with those three.”

A pair of transfer players that are entering another year in the Otzelberger system are forwards Tre King and Robert Jones, who have taken on leadership roles in their final collegiate seasons and have embraced the opportunity to teach the new kids on the block.

Otzelberger praised Robert Jones for his effort in practice, which has set him apart from the other returning squad members. From his communication on the court to winning conditioning reps, the once-raw transfer from the University of Denver has shown considerable growth from last season.

“I feel like I have to be that leader in a sense,” Robert Jones said. “When you look at a leader of a team you don’t expect the leader to be in the back of a line at any time, so just having that mindset and mentality that I’m going to be able to get through everything that has been in front of me and having that hard work and that grit to accomplish those goals as well.”

King hopes to make the most of his final year in collegiate play and his first full season as a part of the Cyclones.

After transferring from Georgetown in 2021 and having to sit out for a season and a half due to NCAA transfer rules, King showed a lot of promise when he was eligible to play in the final 23 games of the season last year for Iowa State.

With all that he has been through, King is driven to not only help the new transfers learn the system but to be a role model for each of them as they start a new chapter in their collegiate career.

“Playing three and a half and four seasons, now you see things,” King said. “I think my role this year is encouraging the guys, giving them advice and letting them know what I see on the court, really being that big brother to them.”

In terms of helping the new transfers, Robert Jones has focused on using the success they’ve had in the offseason and building off of that during the season. In the Big 12, they’re going to be playing tougher teams more frequently compared to their last spots, and staying confident is something Robert Jones has put a lot of emphasis on.

“Just making sure that they keep looking forward,” Robert Jones said. “We’ve done a lot of good things so far up to this point, and if we continue to do the things that we’re doing and improving on the things we’ve accomplished, I feel like we’ll have a good year.”

Paveletzke, a four-star transfer prospect from Wofford College, wasn’t a highly touted prospect coming out of Kimberly, Wisconsin, but he shined during his freshman season, where he averaged 15 points on 49% shooting in his 33 starts with the Terriers.

When Paveletzke was making his decision on where he would take his talents, Iowa State stuck out as a team that had seen a lot of success but also one that showed dedication to him and one that was ready to continue making noise in the Big 12.

“From day one T.J. and the staff have set out their loyalty to me and showed how much they wanted me,” Paveletzke said. “The daily habits are something that stuck out to me. Everyone is bought in, and that’s what I like.”

Curtis Jones, an All-MAC third-team selection from Buffalo in 2023, is joining his third team since starting his collegiate career at Indian Hills in 2020. He sees his experience in multiple systems as an advantage to learning Iowa State’s system, and while it hasn’t been easy for him, he has embraced the learning process since joining the team in the offseason.

“There’s some of the same concepts just basketball term-wise that I’ve been able to pick up on pretty fast,” Curtis Jones said. “I wouldn’t say an easy adjustment, but I’ve adjusted well and it has been really fun adjusting to it.”

Otzelberger showed excitement about the amount of flexibility in the depth chart in the guard position that the three transfers all provide, and while he was not prepared to announce any starters yet, he sees all three as opportunities to help the young Cyclones get back to the NCAA Tournament.

“Whether it’s Keshon [Gilbert], Jackson [Paveletzke] or Curtis [Jones], all of those guys have been good in assist to turnover up until this point,” Otzelberger said. “All those guys give us more options, and we’ll see night in and night out what’s working best for us and giving us the best chance to be successful.”