In another life, Jones was a 6-foot-3, 160-pound shooting guard out of the Twin Cities who had zero Division I or Division II offers. Sure, he was blessed with a silky-smooth jumper (Jones says he could shoot since he came out of the womb), but guys with that type of build are a dime a dozen in the high school ranks.

Curtis Jones has become the lynchpin for a deep, talented Iowa State team that continues to pass nearly every test this season.

Curtis Jones scored 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting, including 5-for-6 accuracy from 3-point range, and No. 2 Iowa State pulled away for a 74-57 win over No. 9 Kansas on Wednesday in Ames, Iowa. Dishon Jackson scored 17 points for Iowa State (15-1,