ESPN has both Curtis Jones, Keshon Gilbert in latest Top 50 players ranking

The Iowa State men are off to one of the best starts in program history, currently sitting atop the Big 12 Conference and ranked No. 2 in the nation.

So, it should come as no surprise that the Cyclones feature two players ranked in the Top 50 on ESPN’s mid-season list of the top players in college basketball.

Curtis Jones, the odds-on favorite to be named the sixth man of the year before being moved into the starting lineup this past week, and Keshon Gilbert are both ranked. Jones is No. 23 while Gilbert checks in at 11th overall.

The list is topped by Duke freshman Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome. From the Big 12, Hunter Dickinson of Kansas is ninth and Javon Small from West Virginia is 10th.

Jones, a 6-foot-4 senior from Minneapolis, is averaging almost 18 points per game with four rebounds and 2.7 assists. He has scored at least 20 in three straight and seven times this year, including a high of 26 vs. Texas Tech.

Against Kansas, Jones was at his best, knocking down five 3-pointers while scoring 25 points with six rebounds. He replaced leading 3-pointer shooter Milan Momcilovic in the starting lineup.

Gilbert, a 6-foot-4 senior out of St. Louis, checks in at 15.5 points, five assists and 3.6 rebounds a night. He is shooting 51 percent from the field, reaching double figures in 13 games this year.

Other Big 12 players ranked include JT Toppin from Texas Tech, Darrion Williams of Texas Tech, Norchad Omier of Baylor, Emanuel Sharp from Houston and L.J. Cryer of Houston.

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