AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State addressed its lack of experience at point guard with senior transfer DeAndre Kane. It turned out that the kid coach Fred Hoiberg recruited for the job was ready for it all along. Freshman Monte Morris has become indispensable for the 15th-ranked Cyclones (22-5, 10-5 Big 12), largely because he’s better at protecting the basketball than anyone in the country.

Morris has 101 assists against just 17 turnovers this season. He’s on pace to shatter the NCAA’s assist-to-turnover ratio record of 3.96-to-1 set by Tyler Newbold of Utah State in 2009. Iowa State, which has won seven of eight since making Morris a starter, faces Kansas State (19-9, 9-6) on Saturday.