Sophomore Melvin Ejim is starting to live up to the promise he showed when he started his career at Iowa State.
While his well-traveled teammates have grabbed the spotlight this season, Ejim has quietly emerged as a key cog for the Cyclones. The 6-foot-6 forward from Toronto has blossomed into a steady swingman between star post player Royce White and Iowa State's trio of talented guards; Chris Allen, Scott Christopherson and Chris Babb.
Ejim is averaging 8.9 points a game, ranks ninth in the Big 12 with 6.4 rebounds a game and is shooting a respectable 46.6 percent from the floor. He's also coming off one of his best games statistically of the season, scoring 17 points with seven rebounds and four assists in a 79-64 loss at No. 9 Baylor on Monday night.
Ejim and the Cyclones (18-8, 8-5 Big 12) will go for their fourth win in six games when they host Oklahoma on Saturday.
''He's been awesome for us. We don't run a lot of offense through him, but he still finds a way to be very productive,'' coach Fred Hoiberg said. ''The best thing he does is, Melvin defends every night and he goes out there and does a great job on the glass.''
Few that saw Ejim play early in his freshman season would be surprised he's making an impact for the Cyclones, who are currently in decent shape for their first NCAA tournament bid in seven years.
Ejim started from opening night for a team that severely lacked depth, scoring in double figures in each of his first six games. But in Big 12 play, Ejim was seemingly nowhere to be found.
His shooting percentage dipped to 41.3 percent and his scoring average fell by nearly five points in league games. It was a surprising slump for a player who'd experienced immediate success, and it served as a valuable lesson for how tough life is in the Big 12.
''Freshman year is kind of a learning curve, especially when it comes to the Big 12. It's a whole different type of ballgame,'' Ejim said. ''I've been trying to become more consistent and just trying to help the team win, do whatever I can, whether that means being an offensive rebounder or score when I have the opportunity too.''
Hoiberg stuck with Ejim despite his late-season slump, and he and Christopherson were the only returning starters for 2011-12. Ejim started this season slowly. But in a pleasantly ironic twist, he's been better this season in the Big 12 than he was in non-conference play.
''It was a great learning experience for him. It was a great opportunity as a freshman to get as many minutes as he did, and I think he could really tell how much he learned from last year,'' Hoiberg said.
Ejim has scored at least 12 points in five of his last eight games - strong numbers considering he's hardly ever the top option in Iowa State's offensive sets and is playing just 23 minutes per game. His point totals have slowly risen since early January and his rebounding has remained solid.
Opponents ''bring a lot of attention to Royce and the guards, so I just try to make myself available,'' Ejim said. ''I just try to pick my poison sometimes and see where I can be most effective.''
On a team with one of the nation's most intriguing players in White and three guards who can score from anywhere, Ejim is easy to overlook. The Cyclones know they likely wouldn't be pushing for a bid to the NCAA tournament without him.
''He's very versatile, and even as a defender he's very versatile. He can guard multiple people,'' White said. ''Besides myself, he's probably the most versatile player that we've got in terms of who he can guard and where he can play on the floor.''
