Pivotal Player: Jamaal Tinsley
By Jay Bilas
Special to ESPN.com
Jamaal Tinsley has great speed and quickness with the ball. Some players only have speed without the ball, but the Cyclones' point guard has both, which is somewhat unique.
|  | | Jamaal Tinsley, left, burst upon the scene at Iowa State this season. |
And most importantly, Tinsley finds the open man. He doesn't have the greatest assist-turnover ratio in the world because he tends to take chances (he averages 6.7 assists, but 4.3 turnovers per game). But he can push the ball up the court, back an opponent off the dribble with penetration and locate his shooters. On defense, Tinsley is a great on-the-ball defender.
Aside from Marcus Fizer's individual improvement, Tinsley is the primary reason why defenses have loosened up for Fizer. Tinsley is able to find Michael Nurse, Kantrail Horton and Stevie Johnson on the perimeter. When Tinsley sets the table for the rest of the Cyclones, that gives Fizer more room to operate.
In the first round, Central Connecticut State doesn't have anyone who can guard Tinsley, but he will have a great matchup with Doc Robinson if Iowa State meets Auburn in the second round. Although Robinson is more experienced, Tinsley is the quicker player, giving him the edge.
Without Tinsley, one of the nation's unknown players, Iowa State would not be nearly as good as good as they are. As a junior-college transfer, Tinsley has been a true gem for coach Larry Eustachy and one of the great stories in the Big 12. |
