Iowa State men’s basketball countdown: Melvin Ejim returns vs Michigan, leads Cyclones to win

Melvin Ejim‘s incredible comeback from his pre-season injury against Michigan checks at No. 6 in the top 15 moments of last season for Iowa State men’s basketball.

Hosting an early contest against one of the top-ranked teams in college basketball would give Iowa State a chance to get some national popularity. Little did we know it was the beginning of a great season, and Melvin Ejim gave them the needed boost to get over the Wolverines.

Just hours before the game, it was announced that Ejim would try to get back on the court. This came after reports on Halloween saying that the forward would be out until at least December after hyperextending his left knee. The game against Michigan was on November 17th.

All it took was just a few weeks for Ejim to recover, working hard and doing all the right things to get any sort of a chance to play against the most anticipated game of the non-conference season. And he did more than just play in it.

Iowa State wouldn’t have won that game without Ejim. He finished a point shy of his then-career high — 22 points, nine rebounds, and three steals with just two turnovers in 28 minutes of play. All of it clearly on a knee that scientifically couldn’t be 100 percent right just yet.

Ejim displayed the heart every Cyclone fan wants to see from the players on the court. It led to the men’s basketball team getting national attention, and they never looked back.

Iowa State men’s basketball top 15 moments of 2013-14

15. DeAndre Kane’s perimeter shooting en route to Diamond Head Classic title

14. Monte Morris emerges, nearly hits double-double against Auburn

13. Cyclones hold on to win after blowing 18-point lead vs. Texas Tech

12. Redemption at Hilton Coliseum after getting blown out at West Virginia

11. 99 points against Northern Illinois in remembrance of Johnny Orr

10. Daniel Edozie’s block on BYU’s Tyler Haws to preserve Iowa State’s first road win

9. Iowa State heads to the Sweet 16 after comeback over North Carolina

8. Cyclones finally take down Kansas at the Big 12 Championship

7. Georges Niang hits go-ahead basket to beat Iowa Hawkeyes

6. Melvin Ejim makes miraculous return vs Michigan, leads Cyclones to huge win

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