‘Steadiness’ allows Iowa State’s Monte Morris to play big minutes each night

AMES — The hope was Monte Morris would play fewer minutes this season.

That hope has been far from reality.

Morris has been the go-to, do-it-all guy for the Iowa State men's basketball team most of the year, and he's done it while playing an almost silly number of minutes per game.

Lots of the preseason talk was about how the Cyclones could function with Morris on the bench to preserve his legs, but the games themselves have dictated something else. Simply put: Morris is an essential cog to the machine nearly every minute of every night.

'I think he has a good pace,' said ISU Coach Steve Prohm. 'Every player is different, but he has a steadiness about him in the way he plays. I think that's the biggest thing. Then when he really needs (a break), he'll tell you.'

There haven't been many occasions this season where Morris has called for extended breaks, and Prohm isn't concerned about the high-usage. It just means coaches have to be diligent in managing his practices and rest.

Morris is averaging 34.2 minutes per game this season, and his 39.4 minutes per game in conference play leads the Big 12. He played 49 of 50 minutes in a double overtime win at Oklahoma. Iowa State hosts Kansas State on Tuesday at 8 p.m. (ESPNU).

Morris has averaged at least 28 minutes per game throughout his entire career — his freshman season was his lowest at 28.1 — but the importance of his presence has increased as the years have passed. His importance is rooted in a 7.5 assist-to-turnover ratio in conference play, but it's a lot more than that.

'As ball-dominant as he is, that's the best thing for us because he's so secure with it, gets us into offense and we play through him when it's in his hands,' said Naz Mitrou-Long. 'At times we can get out of whack.

'But I've got to give a lot of credit to Donovan (Jackson) and Nick (Weiler-Babb) when he's at the one at times. They have a good feel for controlling tempo. When you don't have a guy like Monte in the game, things do feel a little different.'

Morris is second among Big 12 players in minutes per game — behind only Kansas' Frank Mason III — and according to KenPom has played in 83.8 percent of Iowa State's total minutes this season.

What Iowa State has tried to do to alleviate some minutes Morris plays is to slide him off the ball and play shooting guard with Jackson taking over on-ball duties. That has helped Morris, too. He's improved his shot and averaged 16.1 points per game and shooting 40 percent from long range.

'(Jackson and Mitrou-Long) taking the load off me (helps),' Morris said. 'Even when I'm out there I can have them bring the ball up and get us in offense. I don't have to do everything as far as offense and defense like last year on the ball. Playing off the ball definitely helps.'

The Cyclones (12-6, 4-3) sit in a three-way tie for third place in the Big 12 with the Wildcats (15-4, 4-3) and West Virginia (15-4, 4-3).

Kansas State has lost games at Kansas — by two after a missed traveling call on the game-winner — and to then-No. 1 Baylor. The Wildcats are also fresh off a home win against No. 18 West Virginia — which was in the top 10 at the time.

'They run with great pace, they duck you in, they post you up, they cut hard and they're just a tough-minded group,' Prohm said. 'I think bringing guys back and then those guys getting each getting a little bit better, I think their chemistry is good.'

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