Two weeks ago, Iowa State was 5–0, headed to the Chicago Invitational with confidence, and the rival Iowa Hawkeyes were 1–4, with losses to low-level teams at home.

It hasn’t been the ultimate turnaround, but things have changed since then, with the Cyclones hitting a three-game losing slide and the Hawkeyes looking more competitive in the process.

Getting out-rebounded in their last three games and searching for some confidence in the early season, the Cyclones sense the urgency of this game.

“It’s important, it’s a rival, but we want to get off the losing streak. If it was just one loss then you try and go for the win, but it’s a losing streak, and that’s not what you want to be on,” forward Craig Brackins said.

Brackins struggled in one of the worst games of his sophomore season, scoring only six points and collecting seven rebounds in the 73–57 loss at Carver Hawkeye Arena in 2008.

“Last year I didn’t handle it very well. They pushed me, and then if I did a little thing I’d get called for it, but you can’t fight it. You gotta just keep your head, basically try to outwork them, outplay them,” Brackins said.

As a leader on this year’s team, and averaging 17.1 points per game, and 7.6 rebounds, coach Greg McDermott feels like things will be better this time around.

“Craig’s really competing right now, probably at a level that’s more consistent than at any point in time as a member of our team, so he’s doing what he has to do,” McDermott said.

The Hawkeyes aren’t bringing in great numbers for Friday night’s contest, scoring just more than 61 points per game, and guards Anthony Tucker and Matt Gatens are the only players scoring more than 10 points per game. Losses to Duquesne and UT-San Antonio look like major blemishes, but losing to ACC opponent Virginia Tech by six points and competing with No. 2 Texas for a half, the Hawkeyes aren’t going to be overlooked by any stretch.

“They probably haven’t shot the 3-point-shot as well as I think they can shoot, and probably how coach Lickliter feels they can shoot it, so that’s always a concern,” McDermott said.

“I always try to find the time where they’ve played the best, what they’re capable of.”

The Hawkeyes will be a bit undersized coming into the game, but it was a problem that didn’t hurt them last year, and with strong forwards like Jarryd Cole and Brennan Cougill, Iowa State is concerning the game plan around themselves first, to fix the problems Cyclone fans have seen in recent weeks.

“We’re not very efficient, and our movement has been lackluster, especially in situations where teams are making a run at us, rather than trust our system or trust our teammates, guys are trying to take it upon themselves to make plays to get us out of it,” McDermott said of his team.

The Hawkeyes and Cyclones have a mutual opponent, Northern Iowa, that left both the big schools with a defeat. UNI was picked to win the Missouri Valley conference, but only one win away from another state championship in Iowa’s round-robin schedule, it’s a team that both squads could learn something from.

The Panthers slowed down the Cyclones, an athletic team that has had success in transition this year, and it’s no secret that the Hawkeyes will likely do the same thing.

“They’re gonna pick their spots to run, and otherwise it is probably going to be a quarter-court game, you’re going to have to defend a good portion of the shot clock,” McDermott said. “We’ve shown at times that we can be OK with that, but we still have to force the issue in transition whenever we get the opportunity.”

Iowa coach Todd Lickliter will not be down the sideline from McDermott on Friday night, after undergoing surgery to repair a tear in his carotid artery last Saturday. Lickliter missed the Hawkeyes’ game against Northern Iowa, but was released in time to talk with his team before they left for Ames, although he won’t travel with them.

“Some things are a little bit bigger than basketball,” McDermott said, wishing Lickliter a swift recovery.

Iowa leads the all-time series 42–20 over Iowa State in men’s basketball, but the Cyclones are 9–5 against the Hawkeyes at Hilton Coliseum since 1984 including a 56–47 win in 2007.

Following the game against the Hawkeyes, Iowa State doesn’t get back to action until Dec. 20 against Bradley University and will play North Dakota on Dec. 22.