The 13th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones have suspended Jameel McKay indefinitely, according to The Ames Tribune.

“Indefinitely sounds harsh beacuse it’s one game,” McKay told The Ames Tribune’s Travis Hines, “so I’m not sure why they would use that wording.” He also told The Tribune that the suspension was “practice related.”

The Tribune reports that McKay did not make the trip for the Cyclones’ Big 12 matchup with Oklahoma State in Stillwater, as the Cyclones attempt to snap a two-game skid on Saturday.

McKay is fourth on the team in scoring with 12.4 points per game, and is ISU’s top rebounder at nine per game. He has started all 22 games for the Cyclones this season. While he isn’t their biggest star by any means, his loss will most definitely be felt — Iowa State is not a very deep team.

The 6-foot-9 forward has been dealing with knee tendinitis this season, but it hasn’t kept him from playing. With upperclassmen Georges Niang and Monte Morris carrying most of the workload for Iowa State, McKay’s presence on the floor is valuable for a number of reasons. The main one is that McKay’s rebounding prowess gives Niang and Morris more possessions and scoring opportunities.

If the McKay suspension really is just one game, you’ll hear a big sigh of relief coming out of Ames. The Cyclones are playing for NCAA tournament seeding, and with a number of Big 12 losses already on the ledger sheet, Iowa State needs a month of good results before Selection Sunday. McKay will be a central part of ISU’s attempt to rescue this season under first-year head coach Steve Prohm, who replaced Fred Hoiberg last year.

McKay sounded upbeat about his team’s prospects while expressing support for his teammates.

“I fully expect us to win at Ok State, and I’ll be cheering,” he said via The Des Moines Register.

About Harry Lyles Jr.

Harry Lyles Jr. is an Atlanta-based writer, and a Georgia State University graduate.