Hawkeyes, Cyclones enter rivalry game with high hopes

Those postseason hopes will take a hit for the loser of tonight’s showdown in Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes (7-2) and Cyclones (6-2) have each lost to the two best teams they’ve played; Iowa to No. 24 Wichita State and Virginia Tech, and Iowa State to No. 11 Cincinnati and No. 21 UNLV.

Each team could use a quality nonconference win before league play starts. What better way to grab one at the expense of your rival?

“It’s going to be fun,” Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We’ve got to go out there and be ready. We’ve got to go out there and play very intense basketball, because I know they’re going to be ready.”

Iowa State broke a 7-year NCAA tournament drought last season, advancing to the third round before losing to eventual national champion Kentucky. Iowa is hoping to snap its 7-year drought with an NCAA bid this spring.

Fans on both sides of this rivalry have long pegged Friday night as the first time since perhaps 2006 – when Iowa reached the NCAA tournament and Iowa State was expected to – that there would be more than simple bragging rights on the line.

“We’ve got to do a good job with our preparation these next few days getting ready,” Hoiberg said. “They play multiple defenses. They’ve got some good young players and their older players have really stepped up.”

Both teams’ future tourney hopes rest on the shoulders of new point guards.

Senior Korie Lucious, a key cog in Final Four teams at Michigan State before transferring to Iowa State, has had nine-assist performances the last two games, and hit 5 3-pointers for a season-high 17 points in Tuesday’s 83-72 win over Florida Gulf Coast.

“He did a good job, I thought, of spreading the ball around for the most part,” Hoiberg said. “At times, he’s still trying to go between his legs too many times or make a home run pass.”