Georges Niang has decided that he will wait to enter the NBA Draft and instead graduate from Iowa State and play for them one last season.
One motivation for his return to Ames may have been the Cyclones' disappointing exit from the NCAA Tournament against UAB in the Round of 64. Niang had 11 points and 7 boards in the loss. There was something left for Georges to prove. Which is why he will forgo the 2015 NBA Draft and play his senior season at Iowa State.
Last season, Niang averaged 15.3 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, and 3.4 assists per game. This was a bit of a decline from his sophomore season in which he recorded 16.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Niang has proven himself as the leader of this Cyclones team, production-wise and spiritually, and will have a last go to bring glory to his school and mentor his younger teammates on and off the court.
"I was weighing it, but I want to be loyal to the program and didn't want to go out this way," Niang said. "I didn't want to leave my mark like that."
Iowa State will be set up for another great year in 2015-2016, as Niang, Monte Morris, Jameel McKay, and Naz Long are all returning to the team. The Cyclones have also added transfers Deonte Burton (Marquette) and Hallice Cooke (Oregon State).
"I think we have a really good core coming back."
Hopefully, Iowa State's campaign won't end as disappointingly as it did this past season. Look for them to play with a chip on their shoulder en route to a deep tournament run next season.