Despite the Cyclones protecting their home court with their conference-shaking win against No. 2 Houston, not only is the team not satisfied, but they are also not done fleshing out their rotation.
The return of forward Hason Ward has continued to shake up substitutions in the front court, with his diverse presence defensively, and his eagerness to play above the rim proving why he entered the season as a starter. In his three games since returning from a foot injury that sidelined him for over a month, Ward has averaged 16.3 minutes a game and 10.3 points per game on 78.9% shooting from the field.
His time back in the Cyclone rotation has been valued not just by head coach T.J. Otzelberger but by his frontcourt mate Robert Jones, who was injected into the starting lineup during his absence.
“I feel like the nicest part is just having a little less minutes,” Jones said. “I know it sounds crazy but playing a little less is going to keep your body fresher. The way the Big 12 is going to start to ramp up, I mean you play two games a week against the best teams in the nation, you’re going to need that break.”
Jones has remained the starter for the last few games and has seen a plug and play starting role when teammates in the past at Iowa State have been injured.
What both Ward and Jones bring to the table is two different ways of approaching the five spot for the Cyclones. One is a more lob-threatening, defensive maestro in Ward, and the other is a bruiser in the paint who is having one of the most sound stretches of his career.
“We believe at that position, relative to anybody that we play, that we bring more toughness, more effort and more energy,” Otzelberger said. “It is great to have both of them because there are certain opportunities for both guys.”
So that brings the question: Does Jones remain the starter?
While Otzelberger is optimistic about seeing more minutes out of Ward, he did not give a clear answer as to if or when the senior forward will return to his starting role. But it is not something Otzelberger cares to worry about at this point of the season.
“Things just kind of evolve and become what they become,” Otzelberger said. “I don’t think we get worried as much about who is starting because both those guys know there are minutes out there and what we want to do is try and maximize the minutes they can play with that energy.”
Another Cyclone that has seen increased time in Otzelberger’s rotation is sophomore guard Damarion Watson. He saw a season-high 15 minutes off the bench in Iowa State’s loss to Oklahoma on Saturday, followed by eight minutes against Houston.
While those minutes and the stats he recorded in those games may not look impressive on paper, his versatile defensive presence, which has been praised in the past, has been his primary contribution on the court.
Prior to seeing more time on the court, Watson recorded a total of 30 minutes in his last seven games, nine of which came against Florida A&M.
“You can sense his urgency more,” Otzelberger said. “I think when guys don’t get as many opportunities, they either have a tendency to sulk and hang their head and feel sorry for themselves or kind of like ‘Alright what can I do differently and how do I need to be prepared.’”
Watson chose to find ways to improve, which got him back on the court, serving as an additional weapon to force turnovers to generate offense, something Iowa State thrives on.
The 6-foot-7 Minnesota native has kept himself composed, and whether it is midway through the first half or late in the second half, he is constantly staying ready for his next moment to shine.
“I’ve just been trying to be the same guy every day even if my minutes are going to fluctuate,” Watson said. “Knowing my time will come and just be prepared for every moment I get.”
