Iowa State won its second round game against North Carolina Central on Friday night, but the victory came at a price. Starting power forward Georges Niang broke his foot and is done for the rest of the NCAA Tournament.
Georges Niang injury: Iowa State forward breaks foot, out for NCAA Tournament
Niang has been a jack-of-all-trades weapon for the Cyclones, averaging 16.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
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Georges Niang has a foot fracture and will miss the remainder of the season.
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneMBB) March 22, 2014 Niang was one of the top players in the Big 12 this season. He averaged over 16 points, four rebounds and three assists a game while shooting 47 percent from the floor. He had 24 points and six boards in Friday night’s tilt. The Cyclones run nearly all of their offensive through the sophomore forward, and now coach Fred Hoiberg has about 48 hours to devise a completely new game plan for North Carolina in the third round.
While it was a tough blow, it seems Niang is keeping his head held high:
This isn't about me this isn't about my injury it's about the cyclones and we are still dancing!! I love my team and #cyclONEnation
— Georges Niang (@GeorgesNiang20) March 22, 2014 It’s unclear how ISU will prepare moving forward. The Cyclones do not have a ton of depth on the roster; just six players logged 22+ minutes against North Carolina State on Friday, and the front court was was already thin, even with Niang healthy. Look for Hoiberg to go small for most of the game on Sunday.
The Cyclones and Tar Heels will tipoff at 4:15 p.m. ET on CBS.
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