After graduating from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2020, Curtis Jones had no Division II offers to play basketball at the next level, much less Division I offers.
About five years later, Jones is now a key contributor to one of the nation’s top Division I schools for Cyclones in the State of Iowa and featured on the cover of one of the most influential sports magazines.
Here’s everything you need to know about Jones, the leading scorer for the No. 2 team in college basketball.
Where did Curtis Jones play before Iowa State?
Knowing what he was capable of on the basketball court, Jones bet on himself and attended Indian Hills Community College. In his first and only season at Ottumwa, he was a standout in one of the top JUCO programs in the country, averaging over 12 points, six rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
“Indian Hills meant so much to me,” Jones told CBS Sports. “I never said to myself, ‘I’m at JUCO, this sucks.’ I was grateful to be there because I knew what it could do for me, but I can’t say I knew I was going to be here.
Jones eventually made it to Division I by moving on to Buffalo University before the start of the 2021 season. After playing a short time during his first season in Buffalo, Jones started every game for the Bulls in his second year, leading his team in points (15), minutes (31, 5) and 3-point percentage (35.9%) per game.
More: Overwhelmed early in his career, Curtis Jones is now making his mark with Iowa State basketball
When did Curtis Jones transfer to Iowa State?
Jones returned to the Midwest in 2023 to join head coach TJ OtzelbergerThe Iowa State Cyclones team. During his relatively short time in Ames, the 6-foot-4 senior played a key role for an Iowa State team that reached the Sweet 16 during his first season and is currently the #2 team in the country after winning 12 consecutive matches.
Despite starting only two of 16 games this season, Jones leads Iowa State in points per game, averaging 17.8 while also pulling down four rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. His 17.8 points per game also places him second in the rankings. Big 12 Conference behind Javon Small of West Virginia.
He’s also scored 20 or more points in seven games this season, including three straight wins over Utah, Texas Tech and Kansas this month.
“I just want to play a lot of minutes and win games” Jones told the Register. “I could do it either way, starting or coming off the bench.”
2024-25 Iowa State Basketball Schedule
Save: 15-1 (5-0 Big 12)
*Indicates Big 12 Conference game
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November 4: vs. Mississippi Valley State (F, 83-44)
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November 11: against Kansas City (V, 82-56)
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November 18: against IU-Indianapolis (W, 87-52)
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November 25: vs. Auburn (Maui Invitational) (L, 83-81)
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November 26: vs. Dayton (Maui Invitational) (V, 89-84)
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November 27: Last day of the Maui Invitational against Colorado (W, 99-71)
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December 4: against Marquette (F, 81-70)
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December 8: against Jackson State (V, 100-58)
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December 12: in Iowa (W, 89-80)
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December 15: against Omaha (V, 83-51)
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December 22: against Morgan State (V, 99-72)
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December 30: in Colorado* (W, 79-69)
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January 4: against Baylor* (F, 74-55)
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January 7: against Utah* (F, 82-59)
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J.A. 11: at Texas Tech* (W, 85-84 OT)
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January 15: against Kansas* (V, 74-51)
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January 18: in West Virginia*, 4 p.m., on ESPN+
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January 21: against UCF*, 7 p.m., on ESPN+
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January 25: at Arizona State*, 1 p.m., on ESPN+
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January 27: in Arizona*, 9:30 p.m., on ESPN
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February 1: vs. Kansas State*, 1 p.m., on ESPN/ESPN2
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February 3: in Kansas*, 8 p.m., on ESPN
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February 8: vs. TCU*, 12 p.m., on ESPN+
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February 11: at UCF*, 6 p.m., on ESPN+
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February 15: vs. Cincinnati*, 3 p.m., on ESPN/ESPN2
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February 18: against Colorado*, 7 p.m., on ESPN+
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February 22: in Houston*, 1 p.m., on ESPN/ESPN2
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February 25: at Oklahoma State*, 7 p.m., on ESPN+
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March 1: against Arizona*, 8 p.m., on ESPN
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March 4: vs. BYU*, 8 p.m., on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
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March 8: at Kansas State*, 12:30 p.m., on CBS
Cooper Worth is a services and trends reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article was originally published on Des Moines Register: Who is Curtis Jones? Here’s what you need to know about ISU’s leading scorer
