The Cyclones didn’t just see the end of four of their most illustrious seniors’ career following their loss to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They said goodbye to perhaps the greatest point guard in program history.

Monté Morris, Iowa State’s all-time assists and steals record holder, will likely see his jersey hang in the Hilton Coliseum rafters when all is said and done.

His number, along with Cyclone legend Georges Niang, who graduated last season and will likely have his number retired as well, will serve a constant reminder of the best era the program has ever seen.

After No. 5 Iowa State’s comeback fell short to No. 4 Purdue at the Bradley Center, Morris seemed content. While fellow seniors Naz Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas shed tears in the locker room, Morris was even-keeled, answering questions with the same confidence he shows when dishing a pass to an open shooter in the corner.

“You can do all the crying you want, and I had a few tears, but it was a hell of a career here for me and these seniors,” Morris said. “So it’s nothing to hold your head down for.”

Morris headed a senior trio that became the winningest class in Iowa State history. He won 100 games in a cardinal and gold jersey and shattered the NCAA record for career assist-to-turnover ratio with a 4.65 mark. He earned All-Big 12 First Team honors in his final season.

Morris weathered the storm through a coaching change that saw head coach Steve Prohm, who coached two current NBA point guards at Murray State, take over the program from Fred Hoiberg — the man who signed Morris.

Morris, along with Niang, Mitrou-Long and Thomas, helped smooth the transition for Prohm, who never really felt comfortable until the start of the 2016-17 season. And by seasons end, the Cyclones had it down.

Iowa State finished the year winning 11 of its last 14 games, and won the Big 12 Championship by beating West Virginia in the tournament finals. The Cyclones won 24 games, and made the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight time.

The success they found, though, wouldn’t have been possible without Morris.

Morris almost left for the NBA Draft last season but returned for his senior season, much to the surprise to some of his teammates. His shoulder injury, which hampered him during the final stretch of the 2015-16 season, kept him out of draft preparations.

While Morris’ draft stock after this season isn’t eye popping — he was projected to go 42nd overall by DraftExpress.com back in March — his ability to handle the ball should give him a good chance to break into the NBA over the next few years.

Perhaps then Prohm will have to add another player to his NBA watch list of Isaiah Canaan and Cameron Payne — two Murray State alumni under Prohm.

“[There’s a] lot more basketball for [Morris],” Prohm said. “I’ll probably watch him on TV for the next 10 to 12 years.”