By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com PublisherFollow Chris on Twitter @ChrisMWilliams
Chris Allen calls him "Mr. Hustle."
Fred Hoiberg views him as a perfect sixth-man.
In his first six games as a Cyclone, junior Tyrus McGee has made quite the first impression on this Iowa State basketball program.
"You hear him talking if you listen to the radio feed, he is the voice that you always hear," said Hoiberg. "You need that communication. Tyrus is definitely becoming a leader of this group.”
McGee is averaging 12 points per game so far, while he’s only playing in an average of 20.5 minutes per contest. The junior college transfer currently leads Iowa State in 3-point shooting at 57 percent but surprisingly enough, that hasn’t been his biggest contribution to this team.
"If you’re having a slow night or a slow start, you need that guy to come in and inject energy and adrenaline to your team," said Hoiberg. "That’s what Tyrus does. Whether he is making shots or not, he is going to come in and run through a wall."
That’s exactly what happened in Iowa State’s 64-54 win over Providence last Friday. McGee was credited for saving three possessions by diving to save balls that were sailing out of bounds. Mr. Hustle was at it again.
"It was unbelievable," said Hoiberg. “Those three hustle plays that he made, that is infectious. Guys see that and now you have everybody diving on the floor. A lot of that is because of Tyrus."
McGee’s teammates agree.
“He comes in the game and he is instant energy," said Chris Allen. "No matter what, he is guaranteed to knock down two or three treys. He’s going to play defense. He’s going to run. He’s going to talk crap. He’s that guy right now. He is a spark off of the bench.”
