AMES, Iowa — There has only been one player to log minutes in all three of T.J. Otzelberger's first three seasons: Robert Jones.
Jones has seen a steady improvement by the season in minutes per game, and the stats have followed. This season, Jones is averaging a career high in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and field goal percentage.
Jones' method of improvement is simple.
"Keep everything simple. Don't think about things too much," he said. "Most the times when I start messing up, I start overthinking. So making sure I stay true to myself."
Jones goes by the name 'Big Rob Energy,' coined for his fight and spark off the bench, something head coach T.J. Otzelberger wasn't aware of when he committed from Denver after the 2019-20 season.
"Truthfully, at that point in time, we were looking at bigger bodies, you know, somebody would come in and give us, you know, some impact on the front line," Otzelberger said. "I don't know that we knew the depths of that."
Jones came in and transformed his game and his leadership, especially by example.
"Who's the guy that, you know, has the best spirit and attacks that the best, is at the front of line? Rob Jones," Otzelberger said. "So it's, it's that workman-like attitude with everything away from basketball that his teammates know, whatever's in front of him. It's 100%, it's full gas, it's everything he's got."
Jones and the Cyclones are 10-2 and back in action on Dec. 31.