Feb 10, 2018; Ames, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Lindell Wigginton (5) controls the ball as Oklahoma Sooners guard Jordan Shepherd (13) defends during the second half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Lindell Wigginton watched a lot of his teammates sit on the sidelines with injuries last season, but he was never forced to join them outside the action. This year, it took less than one full game for the Cyclones’ star point guard to experience college basketball from the eyes of an injured player.
Wigginton was diagnosed with a sprained foot last week following Iowa State’s season-opening win over Alabama State. Prior to the Cyclones’ win over Missouri last Friday, he was seen riding on a scooter with a hard cast on his left foot.
Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm said after the game Wigginton will spend one week in the cast then will be put in a walking boot. Wigginton said on Monday the best-case scenario will be for him to return to action sometime in December.
“Really just taking it week by week,” Wigginton told reporters prior to Iowa State’s game against Texas Southern at Hilton Coliseum. “When I come out of (the cast) they’ll see how I feel and then when I go in the boot. After that, I’ll do a lot of treatment so however good I feel when I get back.”
Wigginton, who averaged 16.2 points per game as a freshman, will now be forced to sit out of the Cyclones’ much-anticipated trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational to face a field that includes traditional powers such as Duke and Gonzaga.
While he knows it will be difficult sitting and watching, the preseason All-Big 12 honoree knows his teammates will be prepared for the experience.
“It’s tough. Just being a player, you really don’t want to sit on the sideline and watch your teammates play. You want to play with them and try to help them but definitely going to Maui is going to be tough,” Wigginton said. “It’s a lot of tough teams. I wish I could get the chance to play against them. I just want to go up against the best competition every day. I know my teammates, I know they’ll be ready. I’m just going to keep it in their mind to come with a mindset to be the best they can be every night, but I don’t have any doubt in my mind that they’re going to be ready.”
