ISU’s Morris staying aggressive after being cut from tryouts for Pan-Am Games

WEST DES MOINES - Missing out on playing for Team USA in the Pan-American Games wasn't easy to stomach, but Monte Morris knows about what lies ahead.

Morris was one of 21 attendees at the Pan-Am Games tryouts in Colorado Springs, Colo., last week, but was cut in the first wave of players. Although Morris hinted at 'stuff behind the scenes” that could have played a factor in not making the squad, the Iowa State junior does feel he could have done some things to improve his stock.

'I was just going out there not playing Monte basketball,” Morris said. 'I wasn't making shots and missing little floaters. But I can live with it. If they think that's my ceiling out in Colorado, they're going to be surprised.”

The last couple weeks have been quite a whirlwind for Morris. His grandmother recently died, so he spent time at his home in Michigan with family, not getting a chance to properly work out for a week.

Cramming a week's worth of missed work into just a couple days before he left for Colorado proved to be a bit too much to ask of Morris, but he returned to Valley Southwoods on Sunday looking polished.

In the semifinal game he scored 56 points with 11 3-pointers. In addition to working on his dribble while at the Pan-Am Games tryouts, Morris has turned his focus to scoring with more consistency.

The key, he said, is staying even-keeled through any lulls.

'People know I can score, but they don't think I can score-score because I don't score in bunches,” Morris said. 'So that's what I'm really trying to do is to be consistent.”

Morris led his team in scoring with 25 points in the championship game, but ultimately fell short.

In just about one and a half months since arriving in Ames, Iowa State Coach Steve Prohm has already fostered a healthy relationship with his new point guard.

Prohm has the reputation of turning his point guards into NBA prospects, most recently Cameron Payne who was selected 14th overall in this year's NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The key has been constant communication, and Morris said Prohm has made it pretty clear about how he expects the junior to go about scoring.

'He just wants me to stay aggressive,” Morris said. '(Former Cyclones coach Fred) Hoiberg told me that too, but Prohm is pushing it to a whole other level. He wants me always attacking downhill so you're going to see me doing that.”

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