AMES, Iowa (AP) -- On the asphalt courts of New York, he was known as "Blue Collar," just one more

AMES, Iowa (AP) -- On the asphalt courts of New York, he was known as "Blue Collar," just one more talented basketball player with a nickname. Here, in the heartland, Iowa State's Curtis Stinson is something special.
One moment he's hitting a floater in the lane. The next he's firing a pinpoint, half-court pass to a teammate streaking in for a layup. Look again and he's stealing the ball from an opponent.
Despite a tumultuous offseason, Iowa State is 13-5, fighting for a first-division finish in the Big 12 and a contender to make the NCAA tournament. Stinson, a 6-foot-2 freshman, is one of the main reasons.
He leads the team in scoring (14.8) and steals (1.8), is second in assists (4.1) and third in rebounding (6.3). He scored 27 points against San Diego State and 22 against Missouri. He had 19 points and 11 rebounds in an upset of then-No. 15 Kansas, and grabbed 10 rebounds against Xavier.
"I didn't think it was going to happen this way," Stinson said. "I just wanted to come out and help my team win. I was going to do the best I can. Sometimes my team needed me to score. I just tried to do what I can."
Stinson played two seasons at Winchendon Prep in Massachusetts after leaving his high school in the Bronx. He'll turn 21 on Feb. 15 and that maturity shows.
His running mate at guard is another freshman, Will Blalock, once a prep school rival and now Stinson's roommate and best friend. Together they've helped smooth the transition for first-year coach Wayne Morgan, who took over after Larry Eustachy was forced out following the publication of photos that showed him drinking and partying with college students on road trips.
"I can't imagine two freshmen doing more for a team than Curtis and Will," Morgan said.
Nothing seems to rattle Stinson. Whether the game is tight or a rout, whether the opponent is a Big 12 team or Northern Colorado, Stinson is the same -- cool, composed and always ready to strike.
"I love him. I love playing with him," senior guard Jake Sullivan said. "I think he's an unbelievable player. He's as fun a player as I've played with. Nothing gets to him."
Why should it? Stinson is a "city" player. He honed his game against NBA and big-time college players at Rucker Park in New York. Stephon Marbury. Steve Francis. Jamaal Tinsley. Mike Dunleavy. Troy Bell. Jamal Crawford. They were all there.
One summer night, he walked onto the court and found he'd be facing Marbury, the slick, ballhandling wizard who now plays for the New York Knicks. And these weren't simple shirts and skins pickup games. It was an organized outdoor league with officials and hundreds of people watching. If you were a chump, everyone would know about it.
"I was like, 'Oh, this is going to be a good game for me,"' Stinson recalled. "I could probably get my name known. It could help me out a lot. But you get nervous, too, because you've got to figure out how you're going to stop a player like that."
Nicknames abounded. Marbury was "Starbury." Tinsley, a legendary figure on the playgrounds before leading Iowa State to Big 12 championships in 2000 and 2001, was "The Abuser" because of what he did to opponents.
Stinson earned the "Blue Collar" tag because he worked so hard.
"You've got to go out there and handle your business," he said. "If you don't ... they're going to give you a messed up name and embarrass you. They have commentators right there on the floor with you. They'd be walking up and down the floor with a mike."
And a bad nickname would be?
"Somebody's father, old man," Stinson said.
The commentator "was calling somebody father. Everybody started laughing at him -- too old to be playing and stuff like that. It's all fun out there."
For Stinson, it was fun with a purpose. If he could drive to the basket and score at Rucker, with opponents hacking his arms and trying to knock him down, Stinson figured he could do it in the more controlled environment of a college game.
Yeah, they had officials at the park, but few fouls were called.
It certainly prepared Stinson, who's happy to be contributing but wants more.
"We still haven't reached my goal," he said. "Our goal is to get to the NCAA tournament. So all the scoring and stuff doesn't mean too much to me. I just want to get a win."