Iowa State’s Ward glad to be back in state he calls home
In the summer of 2015, a brief conversation outside Blunt Park in Springfield changed the trajectory of Barbados native and current Iowa State forward Hason Ward’s life.
Ward, visiting extended family at the time, strolled over to shoot some hoops, when then Springfield Central coach Darryl Denson approached him.
Denson asked Ward where he was from and for his parents’ phone numbers. He visited his family at home, and Ward’s mother, LaSontha Sealy, swiftly and decisively turned him down several times. She didn’t want her son to venture to another country by himself.
But Denson persisted, because he had a hunch Ward could blossom into something special. Ward convinced his mother to let him move to Massachusetts. He arrived in January 2016, eager to pursue a dream yet blissfully unaware of his surroundings.
“It was cold as hell,” Ward said. “It was my first winter. I remember that day like it was yesterday.”
Fast-forward eight years, and Ward is back in Massachusetts, ready for the Sweet 16 at TD Garden. Thursday’s East Regional matchup pits a second-seeded Cyclones team with KenPom’s No. 1 defense vs. No. 3 Illinois’s top-ranked offense.
Ward, a 6-foot-9-inch, 230-pound senior averaging 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game, has a chance to be a differencemaker.
He’s amazed by how far he’s come and is grateful to play in Massachusetts once again.
“Man, it’s crazy,” Ward said. “If somebody was to tell me this when I was 15, just playing at a hard court, outside in the sun, that I was going to be in the Sweet 16, I would have never believed it. It’s pretty surreal.”
Long before he discovered basketball at 13, Ward specialized in cricket and soccer in St. Thomas. He was “nice” at cricket, but as he continued to grow, he realized basketball might suit his skills better.
He started combing through Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo highlights on YouTube, and fell in love with the game even more, but he was still a casual player when Denson approached him.
Ward took a leap of faith. He rounded out his skills in Springfield and blossomed into a star as an upperclassman. Ward blocked a whopping 22 shots in a game as a junior, then averaged 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks as a senior.
He garnered interest from several Division 1 schools and chose Virginia Commonwealth University. After three successful seasons, which included an Atlantic-10 All-Defensive Team selection in 2021, he transferred to Iowa State.
The process took longer than expected, as he missed two months of summer workouts because of a logistical issue with his visa.
Ward averaged just eight minutes per game last year, but this season, he’s doubled that output. That’s far from a coincidence. He approached Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger this offseason and told him he wanted more of a role, and Otzelberger asked him how hard he was willing to work for it.
Otzelberger sees an evolved player who is “all over the place” defensively and “extremely disruptive.” Ward, who was sidelined for seven weeks following left foot surgery earlier this year, has hit his stride since.
“Hason has given us a whole added dimension, especially here late in the season,” Otzelberger said. “You’ve seen over the last couple of weeks the threat that he poses as a lob threat at the rim, going to get a basketball up at 12 feet, which not many guys can get to, the speed he plays with, the mental focus that he has brought to the table, and he’s really elevated our team.”
His teammates agreed that the Cyclones were missing Ward at the beginning of the year, and they credit him for remaining undeterred.
“He was never down about it,” guard Keshon Gilbert said. “When he came back, it showed. He was ready for his moment, and he’s been helping us ever since.”
Thursday’s matchup presents a contrast of styles. While the Illini are supremely confident in their abilities, with shifty guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (23.3 points per game) as the head of the snake, they have full respect for their opponent’s defensive prowess.
“They just play hard, man,” Illinois guard/forward Luke Goode said. “They’re super handsy. If you’re going to the rim with the ball, you’ve got to make sure you hold onto it. They’re going to try to get that steal. They’re super sound on defense.”
Ward is at the crux of the operation, with his unique blend of length and quickness. He’s hoping his home state fans get to see two games, not just one. This isn’t a traditional “homecoming,” but it’s a homecoming nonetheless. A place that was once unfamiliar has become home over the years.
Ward said it’s tough for his family to watch him in Ames, so this hour and a half drive is a welcome change of pace. Aunts, uncles, brothers, and cousins will all be in the house for the 10:09 p.m. tipoff.
His family watched him play when VCU faced UMass, but this is the first time they’ll see him suit up for Iowa State.
“It’s a no-brainer,” Ward said. “It feels good to know my people are going to be here. I’m just happy to be here.”