Morris, Iowa State prepare for upset-minded TCU (Mar 10, 2017)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Iowa State senior guard Monte Morris would not mind prolonging the discussion that points to him as the nation's top point guard.
Morris approached triple-doubles in two of his last three games. In the Cyclones' quarterfinal victory Thursday over Oklahoma State at the Big 12 tournament, Morris managed 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
He also missed a triple-double by one rebound in a Feb. 28 win over the Cowboys.
With the league's player of the year, Kansas senior point guard Frank Mason, already ousted from the tournament after the No. 1 Jayhawks were stunned in the quarterfinals by TCU, Morris can continue his postseason campaign. The next opportunity comes against the Horned Frogs in the tournament semifinals Friday.
"I love that kid," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said of Morris. "I'm just really proud of the growth he's made. He's had an unbelievable career and he's going to go down as one of the best."
Morris mentioned a lack of recognition for his skills after he was not named one of the five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, presented annually to the nation's top point guard.
"Definitely. I just got to play with a chip on my shoulder," Morris said. "Obviously, I haven't showed enough, so I'm going to take it head on and play with a chip on my shoulder. Not talk much, but be silent, how I move and just play on the court."
That movement contributed to 21 assists on 30 field goals in the 92-83 victory over Oklahoma State. Five Cyclones scored in double figures and the team shot 53.6 percent from the field.
TCU's upset of Kansas, the reigning Big 12 tournament champion and a team that glided to a four-game nod as regular-season champion with a 16-2 run through the conference, creates a wide-open semifinal scenario.
Still, there is little reason for Iowa State to be too confident, though it has won eight of its last nine and the only defeat was against No. 11 West Virginia.
TCU shot 49.2 percent from the floor in beating the Jayhawks while climbing to 19-14 after drawing the eighth seed for the tournament with a 6-12 conference finish.
"Our whole careers we've been sort of the underdogs," junior guard Kenrich Williams said, "so just coming here and making a run is big for us. But the year's not over. We're looking forward to the next game and moving forward."
A Big 12 tournament championship might be needed to propel TCU into the NCAA Tournament after drawing the No. 8 seed for the Big 12 event.
The Horned Frogs, however, have shown marked improvement under first-year coach Jamie Dixon.
"Just the whole ride has been unbelievable," said Dixon, who guided Pittsburgh to NCAA Tournament appearances in 11 of the 13 previous seasons. "I felt if anyone could turn this program around, why not me? We're not there yet. This is one win (against Kansas), but we're obviously making progress. The interest is there."
Not enough to overcome the fan advantage enjoyed by Iowa State, which always floods Sprint Center with followers for the Big 12 tournament.
Then again, so does Kansas, the blueblood the Frogs upset after opening tournament play with a first-round romp over Oklahoma.
"Coach has been preaching to us to stick together this whole time, even through a losing streak," said freshman guard Desmond Bane, who was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 2.5 seconds left and hit three free throws for the 85-82 margin against Kansas.
"They made a run and we stuck together and found a way to make plays down the stretch to get it done."
