For their performances on Sunday against UNC-Wilmington, ISU guards DeAndre Kane and Naz Long were awarded Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and Big 12 Player of the Week.

In his regular season debut for Iowa State, Kane messed around and nearly finished with a triple-double tallying 13 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in only 25 minutes.

With Kane’s powerful 6-foot-4-inch, 200-pound frame, he’s expected to provide another rebounding presence that will be needed with the type of versatile big men that tend to be on the team, namely the 6-foot-7-inch Georges Niang and 6-foot-6-inch Melvin Ejim.

“I’m hunting them down,” Kane said after Sunday’s win. “I’m going and getting them. Like coach said when I can get the rebound we can just go. Instead of getting the outlet pass and what I like to do is get the rebound and go.”

Kane’s rebounding versatility was tested early with Niang and fellow starter Dustin Hogue both tallying two fouls early in the first half.

During a certain stretch Kane played as the four with Monte Morris, Sherron Dorsey-Walker and Naz Long filling the guard spots all around 6-foot-9-inch lefty Percy Gibson in the paint.

“Early on we had to improvise our lineup a bit with Dustin and Georges getting two early ones, and we just had to find a way to steal some possessions and steal some minutes and DeAndre I thought really battled down there. He’s really strong, and he can front the post.”

Ejim update

On Tuesday, ISU forward Melvin Ejim will have his knee scanned and the team will learn a great deal about the extent of his hyperextended and bruised bone in his left knee that he sustained on Oct. 30 in practice.

There are still at least three weeks left on the original time table Ejim was given after the injury.

“Tuesday will give us a very good indication of where he is,” Hoiberg said.

The good news for ISU fans is that before Sunday’s game ISU forward Melvin Ejim was told by the doctor he could increase his movement moving forward with his rehab.

“He’s really increased his work on the court, he’s out running and shooting pretty much every day, doing a lot of work in the pool and on the bike,” Hoiberg said.