Iowa State men’s basketball: Melvin Ejim out 4-6 weeks with knee injury

Now all of the injuries from the Iowa State football team is already creeping in on the men’s basketball team. Cyclones forward Melvin Ejim is out for at least a month with a hyperextended left knee injury.

Oct 22, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State forward Melvin Ejim speaks to reporters during the Big 12 media day at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Reports came flying in late Thursday afternoon that the preseason all-Big 12 forward suffered the injury during practice on Wednesday shortly after the school officially announced it. Here’s Matt Norlander from CBS Sports with the complete details:

"Iowa State announced Thursday afternoon that Ejim hyperextended his left knee, also resulting in a bone bruise, and so the timeline for his hiatus will be 4-6 weeks. The injury came during a Wednesday practice. Ejim was selected in the preseason to the Big 12’s First Team."

Obviously, this injury is a huge blow to the Cyclones. Iowa State is favored to finish fourth in the Big 12, and they have a daunting non-conference schedule that kicks off with hosting National Championship runner-up, Michigan, in the third game of the season.

This means that one of the many junior college transfers will have to step up in Ejim’s absence. Power forward Dustin Hogue looks to be the guy after impressing head coach Fred Hoiberg early on.

"“I’m impressed with how hard he goes after the ball,” Hoiberg said about Hogue recently. “He gives us the ability to go small because of his ability to rebound.”"

Hogue is from Yonkers, New York, and checks in at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds. In 25 games last season with Indian Hills, he averaged 12.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.