AMES – With a lot of last year’s core back, the Cyclones didn’t need a complete overhaul. They just needed the right pieces to get to the next level. Enter “The Presidents:” junior forward Joshua Jefferson and senior center Dishon Jackson, who have made an immediate impact on an already talented squad.
The process of bringing Jefferson and Jackson to Ames began before Iowa State’s 2023-24 season even ended.
The Cyclones were in the middle of one of their best seasons in recent memory, finishing 24-7 in the regular season, winning the Big 12 tournament and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Their run would eventually end in the Sweet 16 against Illinois, but optimism remained high with much of the team set to return.
Iowa State knew its backcourt would remain intact, with guards Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones all returning, along with standout freshman forward Milan Momcilovic. However, the team was about to face key losses in senior big men Tre King, Hason Ward and Robert Jones, creating major gaps in the frontcourt.
So, like many teams in collegiate athletics this day in age, Iowa State and head coach T.J. Otzelberger looked to the transfer portal to find the team’s new big men.
On Mar. 25, 2024, three days before Iowa State even took the court for the Sweet 16, it filled its first hole, with a 6-foot 11-inch center named Dishon Jackson, a transfer out of Charlotte.
Jackson had had an up-and-down career throughout his first four seasons.
Before transferring to Charlotte, the Oakland, California, native spent three years at Washington State. He played in 49 games for the Cougars, starting 19 of them. His final season in Pullman was spent as a redshirt due to an injury sustained during the 2021-22 season.
However, Jackson had a big 2023-24 season. In his lone season at Charlotte, Jackson played in all 30 games and was third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game, as well as second in rebounding, averaging 6.1 rebounds per game.
It’s fair to say that Otzelberger held Jackson’s talent and potential in high regard.
“[Jackson] possesses tremendous offensive skill, power and versatility,” Otzelberger said. “He’s a mismatched player that can create advantages and facilitate offense. Defensively, he’s an effective rim protector with terrific rebounding instincts. The maturity and leadership that [Jackson] has demonstrated will immediately impact our program.”
Jackson seemed to be just as excited to work with Otzelberger and the team as they were to work with him. He even watched every one of Iowa State’s remaining games after Charlotte’s season came to an end in preparation for joining the team.
“I think they play very hard,” Jackson said. “I think they play together. I think the coach [Otzelberger] has organized a well-oiled machine where those guys are just playing for each other.”
Jackson was now a part of that “well-oiled machine,” but that didn’t mean Otzelberger was done looking for more parts.
On Apr. 25, 2024, exactly one month after Jackson committed to play for the Cyclones, they found his future frontcourt running mate; Joshua Jefferson, a 6-foot 8-inch transfer forward from St. Mary’s.
The Las Vegas native played the first two seasons of his career with St. Mary’s. He wasn’t much of a factor in his freshman season, playing only 8.8 minutes per game, but his sophomore season was a different story.
Jefferson averaged 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while playing 24.9 minutes per game. He started all 26 games before suffering a season-ending injury.
Jefferson drew interest from multiple programs, most notably Virginia and TCU, but ultimately decided that his “perfect fit” was in Ames, for a multitude of reasons.
“I feel like Iowa State was a perfect fit for me and my play style,” Jefferson said. “I wanted to go somewhere that’s going to have national coverage and be able to play against the best teams in the country. That’s what I’m all about. Just going out there and finding the best competition and proving to everybody how good I am and just having that confidence in myself. That’s what made Iowa State the perfect fit for me.”
Otzelberger seemed to agree that Jefferson was a “perfect fit” for his squad, praising his abilities on both ends of the floor.
“[Jefferson] is a high IQ basketball player that impacts winning in a variety of ways,” Otzelberger said. “He’s a gifted offensive player that can score at all three levels. He possesses terrific defensive instincts that will help us generate turnovers and end possessions with a rebound.”
Jefferson was the final piece of the puzzle in the formation of the 2024-25 team, but questions remained about how Iowa State’s new look front court would hold up against a step up in competition.
Flash forward nearly seven months later and it was finally time to see the Cyclones’ new look front court in the season opener against Mississippi Valley State.
Jackson and Jefferson found themselves in the starting lineup for their Iowa State debut and made the most of their opportunities.
Jefferson scored 10 points and shot 66% from the field, while also recording six rebounds and a team-high four steals, showcasing the defensive instincts Otzelberger had praised him for.
Jackson also put together a solid Iowa State debut, recording nine points, six rebounds and a block.
While it was just one game against a very outmatched team, it was clear that there was potential for this front-court duo.
“I think we mesh really well together,” Jefferson said after the opening game. “We play off each other really good. We have a good relationship off the court so I think it just makes it very smooth when we’re on the floor.”
Jefferson was right. The two did, and have continued to mesh very well this season, with each player being a key contributor to the Cyclones’ season.
To start, Jefferson has been a standout in all aspects of the game. Jefferson has started and played in all 27 games this season, already appearing in more games than he did in his last season at St. Mary’s.
Jefferson is third on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game, second on the team in assists with three, and first on the team in rebounding with 7.7 and steals with 2.1.
Jefferson’s breakout game came against No. 5 Marquette in Hilton Coliseum, where he went 7-of-10 from the field and scored 15 points along with a team-high 12 rebounds in the Cyclones’ 81-70 victory.
He would follow that up just eight days later with a 19-point, 10-rebound performance in a come-from-behind victory over in-state rival Iowa.
These are the performances Cyclones fans have become accustomed to, as Jefferson has become a model of consistency. There have only been five games this season where Jefferson was held under 10 points, three of which came very early in the season.
“He’s really just got the whole package on offense as a big man,” senior guard Curtis Jones said.
Jefferson’s best game of the season was Jan. 21 against UCF, where he scored a career-high 30 points while also recording seven rebounds and five assists.
Jefferson’s high level of play has earned him five Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards, more than any other player in the conference.
“There’s so many things he’s doing that impacts winning,” Otzelberger said. “When he’s on the court, we’re a better team, and I don’t think there’s any two ways about it.”
Jackson has had quite an impact on winning as well.
The senior center has started in all but one game this season and has been a commanding presence in the paint.
“I think the difference is the bigs,” Jackson said on the transition to the Big 12. “There’s a bunch of seven-footers here, so I think that’s the biggest difference. That’s just me playing against better competition.”
Just like his front-court partner, Jackson has transitioned smoothly to life in a new conference.
Jackson has averaged 8.8 points per game on 56% shooting from the field, the second-best mark on the team. He also averages five rebounds and a team-high 1.1 blocks per game.
Jackson’s season hasn’t come without adversity, though. Prior to the Jan. 15 matchup against then-No. 9 Kansas, Jackson missed a mandatory film session, resulting in him being moved to the bench to start the game for the first and only time all season.
“Once he made that choice and that decision, at that point it was out of his hands,” Otzelberger said. “He had to respond in a positive way.”
Jackson responded in a very positive way, having maybe his best game of the season.
Jackson scored a season-high 17 points in just 20 minutes off the bench and was one of the driving factors in the Cyclones’ dominant victory over the Jayhawks.
His teammates noticed and appreciated the effort and energy Jackson brought to the game, despite the mistake he made earlier in the week.
“[Jackson] brings tremendous energy, especially with the way he played,” Curtis Jones said.
It’s not just the coaches or players who have appreciated the impact Jefferson and Jackson have brought to the team, the fans have as well.
It didn’t take long for fans to take a liking to Jefferson and Jackson and it also didn’t take long for people to make the connection that they both share last names with U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson.
From there, a nickname for the Cyclones’ new big men was born: “The Presidents.”
This nickname has taken off, with merchandise being made around it and two fans have even taken it upon themselves to dress up in old-timey presidential costumes, something Jackson and Jefferson have taken notice of.
“I enjoy it man,” Jackson said. “I think it’s a beautiful thing that the fans come out and support us with all they got every night.”
This type of fan response doesn’t just happen because of their last names. If Jackson and Jefferson were playing sub-par, there wouldn’t be this positive attention from fans. It has everything to do with the impact they have made on the court.
“The Presidents” have lived up to expectations thus far and the Cyclones will have to continue to rely on them down the stretch.
