The Iowa State basketball team will open the regular season without Melvin Ejim. The senior foward hyperextended his left knee in practice a week ago and is expected to be out a few weeks. ISU coach Fred Hoiberg says they selfishly would like him to come back early, but they don’t want to take any chance on creating an even longer term injury.
Ejim will be reexamined next week. “The frustrating thing for Melvin is that he doesn’t feel much pain. The swelling is almost all gone now, so it’s just a matter of what the scan says next week,” according to Hoiberg. He says if the scan shows Ejim is healed, he may come back earlier.
Iowa State opens on Sunday at home against North Carolina-Wilmington.