Shayok ‘working out’ for No. 20 Iowa State

Iowa State brought in Virginia’s Marial Shayok as a one-year transfer with the thinking that the Cyclones’ free-flowing offense would free him up to score like never before.

So far, it’s working out better than either Shayok or the Cyclones ever thought it would.

Shayok is averaging 20.1 points a game after perhaps his best performance yet in Saturday’s 77-60 blowout of Kansas. Shayok scored 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting — including 5 of 5 from 3-point range — as the Cyclones pulled away in the second half of a stunning rebuke of the 14-time league champions.

Iowa State (12-2, 2-0) made its season debut in the Top 25 on Monday at No. 20.

“I just wanted to play my game, to play confident and play free. Just play to my strengths. It’s working out so far,” said Shayok, who Monday was named the Big 12’s player of the week for the first time.

The 6-foot-6 Shayok spent three productive seasons at Virginia, topping out at 8.9 points per game as a junior in 2016-17. Shayok didn’t feel like the Cavaliers’ slow pace suited his style, and he opted to sit out a year just to play one year with the up-tempo Cyclones in an effort to showcase his abilities.

Shayok used the time off to get up as many shots as possible. His hard work has continued to this season.

“It’s something I learned as a young player. You just can’t cheat the game,” Shayok said.

Another plea deal: Facing federal bribery charges as part of the FBI’s investigation into college basketball corruption, former Arizona assistant Emanuel Richardson reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, ESPN reported.

Richardson and two other former assistants — Southern California’s Tony Bland and Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans — were accused of accepting bribes to steer players toward certain financial advisers and business managers once they turned pro.

Last week, Bland pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery.