MILWAUKEE — Donovan Jackson may not be one of the top players for Iowa State, but he may carry the most swagger.    

While Jackson, Iowa State’s backup point guard, has been a force from the perimeter all season — shooting 45.3 precent from 3-point range — his celebrations have gained him notoriety among Iowa State fans. 

And he may be more proud of the fire he brings off the bench with his post-shot antics, rather than his impressive statistics. 

“It’s just to bring something different to the team,” Jackson said. “Get everybody hyped up for the situation and stuff like that.”

One of Jackson’s creations has gone viral among the Cyclone fan base. The phone call celebration, which has been used by forward Darrell Bowie and donned the cover of the Des Moines Register on Friday morning, was started by Jackson.

When that hotline bling, it’s Darrell Bowie there to dunk on you. #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/uP9bWxZD1a

— Kelsey Kremer (@kelsey_kremer) March 17, 2017

Jackson said the idea came to him after he almost received a technical foul for a sleeping celebration against Baylor earlier this season. Then he did the phone call, and almost received a technical foul for that. 

But what does it really mean? Jackson said it’s to let the other team know that it has to answer to stay in the game.

Pick up the call, if you will. 

“It’s pretty much like they’ve got to pick up the phone,” Jackson said. “They’ve got pick it up because they’ve got a call on their line.” 

The celebration has since caught on, and the rest of the team has followed along, even to coach Steve Prohm’s dismay.  

“[Prohm] told me not to do it. But it’s all emotion,” Jackson said. “Just go with the flow of the game.” 

Prohm, who preaches humility on the court and looked upset when Bowie did the celebration after a dunk Thursday night, can appreciate Jackson’s fire, which has led to some big shots late in games. 

Jackson’s 3-pointer against Kansas in early February vaulted the Cyclones to their first win at Allen Fieldhouse in over a decade. And, of course, he celebrated it. 

“He’s got a great deal of confidence,” Prohm said. “He has a swagger to him. He’s made big shots for us. I can name three or four big shots, game-changing shots that he’s made for us this year.”

Jackson’s shooting will have to show up again Saturday, when No. 5 Iowa State (24-10, 12-6 Big 12) faces No. 4 Purdue (26-7, 14-4 Big Ten) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the Bradley Center.  

The Boilermakers boast three big men that can shoot and rebound. They focus their offense in the paint, which stands in stark contrast to the Cyclones, who make a living on the perimeter. It will be paramount for Iowa State to shoot well to advance and move into the Sweet 16. 

While Jackson may not get much of the praise with seniors Naz Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas raining threes, he has done more than his share this season, especially in the past few weeks. 

Over the last 15 games, Jackson is shooting 23-for-39 (59%) from 3-point range. And in the win against Nevada on Thursday night, Jackson went 4-for-4 with 12 points. He’s done it all off the bench, becoming a sixth man of sorts for the senior-oriented Cyclones.

At the beginning of the season, Jackson thought about redshirting because of the lack of playing time he faced. Now he has become a force off the bench for a team just one win away from the Sweet 16.

“[Jackson] means the world to us,” Mitrou-Long said. “That’s certainly a credit to Donovan, and all of the work, and all of the trials and tribulations he’s been through before the season, maybe not even playing, to where he’s at right now.

“It takes a lot of pressure off us because he’s made big shot after big shot and now you have to worry about him on the court.” 

So Iowa State will deal with the large amount of confidence Jackson carries with him to each game, even if it does go over the top at times. 

Without it, he wouldn’t be as successful as he is. 

“I haven’t been around as many guys who are as confident as he is,” Thomas said. “It’s fun just to be around him. He’s such a good player and such a good competitor. I’m happy for him, the way he’s been playing this season, and I expect nothing less from him.”