There’s a reason we use terms like “glue guy” and “hustle player” and “role player” and “hard worker.” These phrases describe players who are not terrific natural basketball talents but make up for their lack of god-given ability with heart, desire and a will to win. It’s a cute storyline for a Disney movie. Sometimes, these phrases accurately describe players, and in those instances, they should be considered compliments.
Melvin Ejim is not a glue guy. Glue guys don’t lead the Big 12 in rebounding. Glue guys don’t average double figures in scoring, and glue guys certainly don’t start every game, grab more than three offensive rebounds per game, or record five double-doubles in 12 conference games. And yet for some reason, the Iowa State forward always gets that “glue guy” label. Judging by one of his recent re-tweets on Twitter, Ejim is not a fan of that particular description. You can’t blame him. Some people were born to be Rudy figures, the kind of kids who work tirelessly for years to have the chance at sacking one quarterback for Notre Dame. Those efforts are commendable, but they’re not for everyone.
Melvin Ejim is a player. He’s the fourth-leading scorer on Iowa State, but it’s time to sit up and notice what he’s doing in Ames. He leads the league in offensive rebounding (3.2 ORPG) and total rebounding (9.4 RPG). He shoots almost 50 percent from the floor, he can knock down the occasional three-pointer and he has held his ground in almost every game against elite competition. He went for 19/11 against Kansas. He grabbed 21 rebounds in two games against a physical Kansas State front line. Against an admittedly weak Texas team, he lit up the Longhorns for 20 points and 16 rebounds. There is nobody better in this conference at finding the basketball when it comes off the glass. He’s so quick, so agile and so strong near the rim that it’s almost impossible to block him out, and he’s one of the reasons the Cyclones rank in the top-35 nationally in total rebounding percentage.
Iowa State is squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble right now because of its inconsistent defensive efforts and complete inability to close out games on the road. None of that is Ejim’s fault. He’s not the primary scoring option on this team, but his rebounding changes the game. If the Cyclones eventually steal an at-large bid, they’ll owe a lot to Ejim’s toughness and grit around the rim. Just don’t call him a glue guy. He’s too good for that characterization.