Iowa State's Naz Mitrou-Long out for the remainder of the season
Iowa State announced on Tuesday that senior guard Naz Mitrou-Long will sit out the remainder of the season as he continues to recover from offseason hip surgery.
In eight games for the unbeaten Cyclones, Long was averaging 12.0 points in 31.9 minutes per game, but his 3-point percentage had dipped to under 30 percent.
The 6-foot-5 Long underwent surgeries on each hip this spring. He will look to receive a medical redshirt.
“This was an extremely difficult decision for me,” Mitrou-Long said in a statement released by the university. “As a player, there is nothing you want more than to help your team be successful. Following the surgery, I pushed myself incredibly hard to be ready for the season opener. As I’ve said before, I knew I might not be 100 percent, but I wanted to give it a go for my team. With that said, I feel the need to take time off to allow myself to rehab with our training staff to get back to where I can perform at my peak level on the basketball court."
As one guard goes out, another comes in. Deonte Burton, a transfer from Marquette, is eligible to play for the Cyclones. The 6-foot-4 power guard will make his debut on Saturday as No. 5 Iowa State takes on Northern Iowa in the Big Four Classic in Des Moines.
