Morris should be ready to go for opening game at Big 12 Championship

Ryan Young/Iowa State Daily

Monté Morris goes up for a shot against Kansas’ Frank Mason III, drawing a foul and slightly injuring his shoulder on March 5, 2016 at Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.

Ryan Young

Point guard Monté Morris suffered a slight shoulder injury toward the end of last Saturday’s 85-78 loss at Kansas.

Morris sat out of practice Monday and Tuesday as a precautionary measure and didn’t participate in the team’s practice Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City. No. 21 Iowa State (21-10, 10-8 Big 12) will play its opening game in the Big 12 Championship against No. 6 Oklahoma (24-6, 12-6 Big 12) on Thursday night.

Morris did, though, take part in a team shootaround Wednesday morning in the Sprint Center.

“It’s pretty good,” Morris told the Des Moines Register on Wednesday. “I was able to get the ball to the rim. I wasn’t getting too frustrated with my misses.”

ISU coach Steve Prohm said he made the decision to rest Morris again Wednesday just as another precautionary measure used to make sure he is fully rested before Thursday night’s game against Oklahoma.

Even right after the injury occurred, Morris was adamant that he would be fine to play Thursday. And even though he isn’t back to full health yet, Morris may get some help before game time.

“They’re going to probably numb me up before the game and I’ll be able to do a range of motion, fully extend [my shoulder],” Morris told the Register. “Right now, I can’t fully extend all the way through so it’s kind of a push at the end of it just to get [the ball] up there. But it still felt good, so I’m not really worrying about that.”