Pickens, Jones, Porter have seen high and low times in first season.
Missouri State's Keith Pickens is learning what fellow freshman Mike Porter could have told him long ago.
"Watching everyone else play and have fun is no fun. I want to be out there," Pickens said.
"I don't like sitting out games."
But Pickens, who has appeared in 33 of MSU's school-record 35 games, will be seated alongside Porter on the end of the bench Tuesday night at JQH Arena as MSU faces Pacific for the CollegeInsider.Com Tournament championship.
Pickens is headed for arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in a couple of weeks. Porter has been out since December with a torn hamstring.
Porter has had a couple of months to come to terms with being a spectator. That doesn't make it easier to deal with.
"It's been frustrating all year," said Porter, who played in six games prior to his season-ending injury. "At least, I'll get a medical redshirt and have four more years.
"It's not all bad, but it's not all good, either. It's no fun seeing my guys go out there and work."
Of MSU's three freshmen, Pickens made the biggest impact. He started 17 games and averaged 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds.
He moved back into the starting lineup for the first two CIT games, playing through knee pain after hurting it initially last month. But after painfully twisting it in a first-round victory over Middle Tennessee State, he was done.
Coach Cuonzo Martin said Pickens was playing some of his best ball just before his season ended.
"He really improved, as far as making moves to the basket and crashing the offensive glass," Martin said. "He really made some great strides during the season."
Martin said the little bit of game action Porter -- whose preseason was interrupted by an appendectomy -- saw will prove valuable.
"It was good for him to gauge what it's like at this level," Martin said.
Added Porter: "I learned it's way more physical than in high school and that I might not get as much playing time as I was used to. But as long as I go out and have good minutes, I'll be fine."
Martin said both Pickens and Porter, along with fellow freshman Jerome Jones, have a common theme to take into offseason workouts.
Jones has gone through stretches of playing little, but he came off the bench to play 12 valuable minutes in the first half of the CIT semifinal victory over Creighton.
"We'll tell each of them the things they need to work on to improve offensively and defensively," Martin said. "But the biggest thing for them is just understanding what it takes to compete at this level and be successful -- not just to be an average player, but to be great at this level.
"As freshmen, they all got a taste of it. Most important, they'll know what I expect of them."
Missouri State's Keith Pickens is learning what fellow freshman Mike Porter could have told him long ago.
"Watching everyone else play and have fun is no fun. I want to be out there," Pickens said.
"I don't like sitting out games."
But Pickens, who has appeared in 33 of MSU's school-record 35 games, will be seated alongside Porter on the end of the bench Tuesday night at JQH Arena as MSU faces Pacific for the CollegeInsider.Com Tournament championship.
Pickens is headed for arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in a couple of weeks. Porter has been out since December with a torn hamstring.
Porter has had a couple of months to come to terms with being a spectator. That doesn't make it easier to deal with.
"It's been frustrating all year," said Porter, who played in six games prior to his season-ending injury. "At least, I'll get a medical redshirt and have four more years.
"It's not all bad, but it's not all good, either. It's no fun seeing my guys go out there and work."
Of MSU's three freshmen, Pickens made the biggest impact. He started 17 games and averaged 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds.
He moved back into the starting lineup for the first two CIT games, playing through knee pain after hurting it initially last month. But after painfully twisting it in a first-round victory over Middle Tennessee State, he was done.
Coach Cuonzo Martin said Pickens was playing some of his best ball just before his season ended.
"He really improved, as far as making moves to the basket and crashing the offensive glass," Martin said. "He really made some great strides during the season."
Martin said the little bit of game action Porter -- whose preseason was interrupted by an appendectomy -- saw will prove valuable.
"It was good for him to gauge what it's like at this level," Martin said.
Added Porter: "I learned it's way more physical than in high school and that I might not get as much playing time as I was used to. But as long as I go out and have good minutes, I'll be fine."
Martin said both Pickens and Porter, along with fellow freshman Jerome Jones, have a common theme to take into offseason workouts.
Jones has gone through stretches of playing little, but he came off the bench to play 12 valuable minutes in the first half of the CIT semifinal victory over Creighton.
"We'll tell each of them the things they need to work on to improve offensively and defensively," Martin said. "But the biggest thing for them is just understanding what it takes to compete at this level and be successful -- not just to be an average player, but to be great at this level.
"As freshmen, they all got a taste of it. Most important, they'll know what I expect of them."
