Submitted photo: Iowa state men's basketball graduate assistant Brian Pearson, a Manson Northwest Webster graduate, works with the Cyclone players before a game.

AMES — It definitely wouldn’t be an understatement to say Cyclone blood runs deep in Brian Pearson.

The 2020 Manson Northwest Webster graduate knew exactly what where he wanted to go to college, following in the family footsteps by enrolling at Iowa State University.

It didn’t stop there for Pearson, though, who is now in his fourth overall season working with the men’s basketball program.

“I’ve always been a diehard Cyclone fan, going to a ton of games growing up,” Pearson said. “My dad (Mark Pearson) was a former manager at ISU and a (graduate assistant), and my uncle (the late Brian Pearson) played here as well. I remember the stories and experiences that my dad would tell me about and watching old clips of my uncle.

“That all made me realize just how much I wanted to be a part of this program.”

Pearson came at the right time, joining the Cyclones the same season they hired TJ Otzelberger as head coach. He spent his first two seasons as a student manager, and is now currently in his second as a graduate assistant.

“I got the GA job right after I graduated with my undergrad and am in my second year doing that,” Pearson said. “My responsibilities include assisting with athlete workouts, helping in practices, doing film projects for coaches, advanced scouting of opponents, creating post-game reports, help hosting recruits and manage logistics of recruit visits, and leading student managers.

“Being a GA is an amazing experience, being able to work under this staff and learn from them. I help out wherever I can for whatever is needed. I am very grateful to have this opportunity and experience.”

That is only part of the typical daily schedule for Pearson, though.

“Balancing school and basketball are not always the easiest at times, but it’s very rewarding,” he said. “I usually try to stick to a routine with my schoolwork, doing most of it in the mornings to focus on basketball in the afternoon. There are some stressful days and late nights that go along with it. During season and recruiting periods, it can be hard to try to keep up with everything.

“Being able to manage everything that is thrown my way is something I’m still working on.”

Since his time arriving on campus, Pearson has been front and center as Iowa State basketball returned to the national spotlight. The Cyclones reached the Sweet 16 last year, going 29-7 overall and winning the Big 12 Conference tournament for the sixth time.

Iowa State is currently fifth in the AP poll, one of three Big 12 teams in the Top-5 alongside No. 1 Kansas and fourth-rated Houston.

This year, Pearson will travel to the Maui Invitational with the squad. He’ll also be a part of new conference road trips to Colorado, Arizona State, Arizona and Central Florida.

“There are so many awesome things to be excited about this year, including the fans at Hilton Coliseum, the postseason tournaments, going to Maui, and all the new Big 12 schools,” Pearson said. “That’s great, but it’s the behind the scenes work I enjoy the most and am most excited for. With all our new guys coming in and our core players returning, there is a sense of excitement and expectation that our program has built. It comes from the daily work and the togetherness that is earned.

“Everyone sees the result on the court, but watching this team build relationships together behind the scenes and enjoy moments that they only get one time is something that I always love seeing. I have built so many lifelong relationships in my short time here, and I’m so excited to continue to do that while having a great program to be a part of.”

Pearson has his eyes on a future around sports as a coach to “chase the same thing” his father and uncle did, adding this has been an “easy decision” to make.

“Being hired as a student manager was a dream come true, and to stay with the team as a GA was better yet,” he said. “There have been some great highs and difficult lows, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“I would love to continue to work in college athletics after this. At Iowa State would be amazing, but anywhere I land, I would be very grateful. I never imagined a kid from Manson would be in the spot I am today. To have a job as a Cyclone blows my mind every day.”