Jameel McKay’s suspension continues, will not play for Iowa State at Texas Tech

AMES — Iowa State was without Jameel McKay on Saturday, but scored a road win against a team sitting in the bottom half of the Big 12 Conference.

The Cyclones will face the same challenge this week.

Iowa State Coach Steve Prohm said McKay continues to be suspended indefinitely and will not play against Texas Tech on Wednesday. He also missed Saturday's win at Oklahoma State.

Prohm met with McKay on Monday morning and said McKay will practice with the team. But he also laid out his expectations for the 6-foot-9 senior.

'It's basically just doing the right things and what I expect each and every day,' Prohm said. 'It's from a whole perspective. It's not just one single thing. I love Jameel and we need Jameel to be right for us to max out and he knows that. Me and him are continuing to communicate and hopefully he can have a good week this week and we can go full.'

A decision hasn't been made on whether or not McKay will travel with the team to Texas Tech, but he won't play. McKay is averaging 12.4 points and 9.0 rebounds with 37 blocks in 22 games this season.

In McKay's absence against Oklahoma State, Deonte Burton moved into the starting lineup and filled the four spot. Georges Niang slid to the five role and had 18 points — 16 of which came in the second half.

'You miss Jameel blocking shots at the rim and finishing around the rim, but I just think it introduces a new lineup that we can use that was effective last game,' Niang said. 'I wasn't worth anything in the first half and Coach told me I was the five and needed to start playing like one. I think when he did that, it sort of introduced a new lineup that we can use that is pretty darn effective.'

Iowa State went three deep on its bench against the Cowboys and got freshman Simeon Carter his first minutes in Big 12 play. Jordan Ashton and Hallice Cooke came in as the sixth and seventh men and combined to score three points with three rebounds in 29 minutes.

Prohm said the adversity of being down a starter due to suspension in February puts the team under a little more strain, but feels there are some underlying benefits in the situation.

'We're going through some things right now, but I think at the end of the day it will help our basketball team,' Prohm said. 'Other guys will get a little more experience and then our team will be tighter. That's the thing I said all year long. I just want to become a team, a true team in every sense of the word when this is all over with.'

In his last five games, junior Monte Morris has averaged 14.4 points and 39.4 minutes and dished out 39 assists with just three turnovers. The Cyclones had four players in double figures against the Cowboys, but it was Morris' 16 points and eight assists, plus Niang's output, that helped Iowa State keep pace in the second half and lock up the win.

Prohm said he is hopeful McKay could return to the lineup Saturday, but his focus has to be on the guys he's putting on the floor in Lubbock.

'Sometimes dealing with adversity away from home rather than at home can sometimes be easier because your focus is just on those 12 guys and just this situation,' Prohm said. 'We are under the gun a little bit now with numbers and adversity, but our guys are responding to that. I expect them to respond again on Wednesday night.'

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