What to know about Iowa State basketball transfer Curtis Jones

After Curtis Jones' 32-point performance in Iowa State’s summer-trip opener down in the Bahamas, intrigue surrounding the Buffalo men's basketball transfer continues to grow.

The 6-foot-5 guard finished 12-for-18 from the field, including 8-for-12 from 3-point range, to headline the Cyclones' 119-48 win over Lucayans on Sunday afternoon.

It's clear that Iowa State severely towered over its opponent from a talent perspective, but early production from the newcomer indicates Jones is fitting in just right.

With that, here are a few things to know about Iowa State's backcourt newcomer.

Before landing in Ames, Curtis Jones was a bucket-getter at Buffalo

The Bulls were a pedestrian 15-17 last season, in part why coach Jim Whitesell was let go and why Jones entered the portal. But the Minneapolis native still put up solid scoring numbers.

Jones led Buffalo in points (15), minutes (31.5) and 3-point percentage (35.9%) per game, while also averaging three assists and shooting 41% from the field and 78% from the free-throw line.

While the Bulls finished fifth in the MAC and lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals, Jones had plenty of single-game efforts similar to Sunday. His season high was 32 points against St. Bonaventure on Dec. 3, a game that capped Jones' stretch of four consecutive 20-point showings in a two-week span.

“I take a lot of pride in shooting," Jones said before Iowa State left for the Bahamas. "I could shoot ever since I’ve been playing basketball, just naturally. Now (it's) just working on it every day early and late, working on my shot and making sure it stays solid because that’s a big part of my game — and we need that.“

Iowa State has been desperate to find a reliable long-distance shooter since T.J. Otzelberger took over as head coach before the 2021-22 season. Jones appears to fit that description nicely.

This is not Curtis Jones' first stop in the state of Iowa

Before his two seasons at Buffalo, Jones averaged 12.1 points, six rebounds and 5.5 assists per game at junior-college powerhouse Indian Hills during the 2020-21 campaign. He was named a second-team all-region selection by the Iowa Community College Athletic Association.

After having little college traction out of high school and mid-major interest out of JUCO, it really is a full-circle moment for Jones to return to the state of Iowa as a cemented Big 12 prospect.

“You never know with a new team how things will go," Jones said. "But everything’s been going real well here. The chemistry has been real good as well because off the court we’re always doing things together as a team, so I think that helps as well."

Curtis Jones was Iowa State's third of three portal lands, comprising an intriguing recruiting class

Jones announced his Iowa State commitment on April 17, joining UNLV point guard Keshon Gilbert and Wofford shooting guard Jackson Paveletzke to make up Iowa State's portal class. This is the first of two eligibility years Jones has left.

Pair those three with Iowa State's four true freshmen — Omaha Biliew, Milan Momcilovic, Jelani Hamilton, Kayden Fish — and Otzelberger has some interesting new weapons to work with this season.

Jones gets the nod for making the biggest first impression in a game setting.

“That’s a big part of the game, just playing with confidence," Jones said. "So I’m trying to tell everybody to just be confident and make sure I stay confident in myself.”

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Meet new Iowa State basketball guard Curtis Jones