Peterson: No. 6 Iowa State and an NCAA trip to Omaha? That's gaining steam after Saturday

AMES – A strength of an Iowa State men's basketball team that can achieve huge things in the next few weeks is that you never know where the juice will come from next.

Recently it’s been Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones, but during Saturday’s 71-64 victory against West Virginia at Hilton Coliseum, it was someone very different.

This time, the spark for the sixth-ranked Cyclones’ 16th consecutive home victory was none other than Jackson Paveletzke, whose play off the bench was just another highlight of what’s been a highlight-reel of a season.

We’ll get into what the Wofford transfer did in a moment. But first, the setup of what Saturday’s victory means moving forward.

More: Late surge pushes Iowa State basketball past West Virginia

For a few minutes during the early parts of Saturday's game, it looked like a Big 12 first-place tie was in play, as Baylor hung with second-ranked league leader Houston – until the Cougars pulled away in overtime.

That left coach T.J. Otzelberger’s team one game back with four Big 12 contests left – two at home and two on the road. And that’s all right, considering no one outside the locker room figured the Cyclones would have 10 conference wins at this point, with a chance to push that total to 14.

The way these guys play, I wouldn’t count that out. Especially when you get 27 points off the bench. Especially when you win a game when you’re not playing your best. And especially when there are two more home games.

More: Peterson: Where Iowa State basketball fits among Big 12's legitimate title contenders

“When it’s time to get stops, and when it’s time to separate, they’re able to focus and dig in,” said Otzelberger, whose team is 21-6 overall and 10-4 in the Big 12. “Speaks volumes for our guys.”

I’ll second that. Not all passes were crisp Saturday. Three-point defense, especially early, was non-existent. West Virginia led with 9:20 to play, but then ...

A 14-0 run of second-half points salted away yet another win as Iowa State kept pace with Houston. The Cyclones' defense was the difference during that stretch.

Pav, as they call him, made his presence felt on the offensive end moments after entering the game for the first time with 7 minutes left in the first half. He did it with a turnaround shot in the lane. He did it with a three-point basket just a minute later.

“We’re fortunate,” Otzelberger said “We play nine guys. Everybody when they get in has that opportunity. We use the term instant impact. Make the game go your way.

"For Hason (Ward), that means one thing. For Curt (Jones), that means another. For Jackson or Demarion (Watson), that means something else. When guys come in, they play to their strengths, but bring what they can bring at their best.

“Jackson did that in a lot of ways.”

Yes he did, adding a positive dimension to a team that wasn’t exactly playing its best ball of the season.

And for the play of the game − how about what Rob Jones did after stealing the ball directly in front of Otzelberger on Iowa State’s bench?

Instead of whipping a pass to someone more adept at doing fancy things with the ball, Jones quickly dribbled the length of the court. Shooters were positioned for passes on the 3-point line.

No way.

Jones started the play. He finished the play. His coast-to-coast put Iowa State up by 11 with 2½ minutes left until halftime.

“I thought he was going to pass it to me the whole time, running down there,” Tamin Lipsey said. “I was running down the middle, and he was taking it coast to coast. He made a great play. It was fun to see.”

Yes, another big-time line-item entry on the resume to talk about whenever this super season ends. I immediately thought back to last Saturday, when Jones took a Texas Tech player off the dribble from the free-throw line. The Register’s Travis Hines said something to him about the play.

“I’ve still got some things left you guys haven’t seen,” Jones countered.

You never know what you’re going to see next with this team that could be a No. 2 seed on March 17 Selection Sunday, assuming the Cyclones finish strong in the remaining four games (vs. Oklahoma, at UCF, vs. BYU, at K-State).

It’s becoming a real thing, and so is the idea that much of this could play out just a few hours from campus. First, the annual migration to Kansas City in a couple weeks for the Big 12 Tournament, then possible first- and second-round games just across the river in Omaha.

That's becoming a real possibility, each time the Cyclones win, and each time Baylor loses (it's complicated, so just take my word for it).

Neutral courts? Not on your life, and the way this wonderful season has progressed, this could be the year ... I’ll let you fill in the blanks.

“It’s a long season, especially when you’re in the Big 12,” Lipsey said. “Every game is going to be a fight, no matter what the other team’s record is. We know that.

"Continuing to fight through this whole game was good to see, just to know we can’t let any (games) go. We've got to go out and win every game."

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 52nd year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: No. 6 Iowa State basketball showed Saturday it is nine players deep