Naz Mitrou-Long embraced new role in helping Cyclones to Sweet 16

CHICAGO — Naz Mitrou-Long made the decision he knew he needed to make, but coming to terms with it was the challenge he really faced.

When the Iowa State men's basketball senior decided to shut down his season in mid-December because of persistent hip soreness — he had arthroscopic surgery on both hips last offseason — he knew he needed to follow through with it for his own good.

Doing something for his betterment didn't make it any easier though.

'I couldn't say I just went out and said, 'Alright I'm good to go on the sidelines cheering,'' Mitrou-Long said. 'It's always been a part of me to cheer for my guys and being the biggest cheerleader on our bench, but it wasn't easy.

'I'm a basketball player first. I love this game. I want to compete every day and that's why I work hard every single day, but I had to accept it and come to terms.'

Through his team's turbulent regular season, Mitrou-Long was always on the bench – he made every road trip as he seeks a medical red-shirt to play next season – but has been worth a lot more to the Cyclones than just inserting his enthusiasm.

No. 4-seed Iowa State plays 1-seed Virginia at 6:10 p.m. Friday (CBS) in the program's fifth-ever Sweet 16 with Mitrou-Long's leadership and calming persona right in the thick of it. Just like he has been all season, Mitrou-Long will put his player-coach lens to use.

'With him not being able to play, the guys respect it so much that they see him play at a high level at this university so he knows what he's talking about,' said junior Monte Morris. 'When he talks, everybody listens.'

Video: Naz Mitrou-Long on leadership role  

'(Mitrou-Long is) just being a leader and being a voice of reason,' said Iowa State coach Steve Prohm. 'Being a motivational guy and being a guy that can lay the hammer with them because they've got so much respect for him. He's been good for me as well.'

Getting over the hump of Mitrou-Long accepting a new role took awhile — about four or five games after he shut it down on Dec. 15 — but when he got to the point in which he fully embraced the worth he could have for the team, Mitrou-Long's energy picked back up.

Mitrou-Long would see his teammates hanging on his words as they huddled on the bench or looked in his direction during stoppage in play.

'They can definitely hear me out there and I think it's just me motivating the guys,' Mitrou-Long said. 'That's who I've been all year and that's who I always will be. Just being able to push guys extra hard even when they're tired — because sometimes we don't go deep into our rotation — and giving them that extra motivation of relaying Coach's message and just doing little things like that.'

Hlas: Took time, but Cyclones, Prohm came together

'I don't know if anybody else in the country could handle what he had to go through, but he's done it with a smile on his face every day, brings energy into everything we do, whether it's a meeting, practice or lift,' said senior Georges Niang. 'He's always in there giving us positive energy and making us think about the good things that are going on.'

Mitrou-Long won't be in a uniform when his Cyclones (23-11) take on the Cavaliers (28-7), but that's not to say he's had no impact on getting his team to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. His perspective may have changed, but his confidence remained untouched.

'To be a Sweet 16 team, a lot of people wouldn't have thought that especially when I went out,' Mitrou-Long said. 'People were saying this and that as if Matt (Thomas) couldn't step up and do it like we knew he could and that Deonte (Burton) wouldn't come in and play a role.

'It's been a great year up until this point, but we're not done. We're not satisfied.'

Video: Iowa State's open practice Thursday (Commentary: Naz Mitrou-Long)  

l Comments: montzdylan@gmail.com