Efficiency of Star Player Has Become a Concern for Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting set for their final game of the regular season against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, and they will be hoping to get a star player back on track.

It has been a tough stretch for the Cyclones heading down the stretch the last couple of weeks. As expected, with the Big 12 being an elite conference, the schedule has done no favors for Iowa State. Over the last two weeks, the Cyclones have lost three out of their last four games thanks to a combination of good opponents and tough travel.

With three games on the road during that span, Iowa State has looked a bit worn out at times. Now, despite playing really well throughout the season, the team now has six losses and are in danger of not being considered a two seed when the NCAA tournament rolls around.

While there are plenty of reasons for some of the struggles, one of the reasons lately has been the struggles of a key player. If the Cyclones are going to right the ship, they will need Joshua Jefferson to start to become a bit more efficient.

Jefferson Needs To Get Back on Track

Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson diving for a ball — Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While it has been a fantastic overall campaign for the senior forward of the Cyclones, he has been struggling a bit of late in terms of his efficiency. For quite some time, Jefferson was being considered as a National Player of the Year candidate. Unfortunately, Cameron Boozer of the Duke Blue Devils was able to run away with that award.

In the recent loss to the Arizona Wildcats, some of the struggles of Jefferson really came to the forefront. While he battled foul trouble, he went a terrible 2-for-17 from the field in the loss.

Following the disappointing performance against the Wildcats, it was the seventh straight game in which he shot under 50 percent from the field. While there have been a couple of games in which he was able to total 20 points, the efficiency has been an issue.

Furthermore, while the shooting efficiency has been good, he has also had some issues with turnovers at times. In the loss to Arizona, he also totaled four turnovers in the game. While he is a high usage player, protecting the ball is also key.

With a matchup at home coming up against the Sun Devils after some rest, hopefully, this will be a great opportunity for Jefferson and the Cyclones to get back on track.