Haliburton shut down for season with fractured left wrist
An already difficult season for the Cyclones got even more difficult on Monday morning with the news that starting sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton would be out for the remainder of the season with a fractured left wrist.
Haliburton, who had been Iowa State’s leading scorers coming into Saturday’s home game against Kansas State, left in the final minute of the first half when attempting to block a shot. He landed awkwardly on a left wrist he had already injured early in the season. He returned to play the first few minutes of the second half, before leaving the game for good.
“I don’t really know what to say,” said Haliburton in a message posted to his Twitter page. “This comes as a shock for me, my family, my teammates, coaches, and I’m sure to all of you as well. But I was taught to never question God, and I know he has a plan for me. As this season continues, I will try to be the best teammate possible. I know my brothers will step up and I can’t wait to be there every step of the way.
“We always talk about leaving our jersey in a better place, and although I’m not on the court, I will control what I still can and that is still being committed to this in every way imaginable.”
The 6-foot-5, 175-pound Wisconsin native finishes the 2019-20 season, averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds. He is currently the Cyclones’ leader in assists and rebounds-per game. Haliburton also had a team-high 52 3-pointers and was shooting over 50-percent from the field.
With Haliburton’s sophomore season now in the books, the question is now whether the guard has played his final game with ISU or opts to put his name in for the NBA Draft. He had followed up a stellar freshman season and run with the United States Olympic U19 World Cup team over the summer by becoming more of a scoring threat during his second year in Ames.
