In one of the oldest rivalries west of the Mississippi River, Iowa State (3-3) and Drake (5-1) will play their annual game Wednesday night as the two rivals clash for the 167th time in series history at the Knapp Center in Des Moines.

Although Iowa State holds a 104-62 overall record and is 46-38 in games played in Des Moines, Drake defeated the Cyclones 80-78 last season at Hilton Coliseum.

“Last year when we lost, that was a tough break,” said senior Rahshon Clark. “That’s a game that we wish we could have back.”

Clark has typically had success against the Bulldogs during his career, shooting 61.3 percent from the field in three meetings against Drake and scoring a career high 26 points in his last trip to the Knapp Center two years ago.

This year Drake is off to a fast start at 5-1, mainly due to solid guard play, which is a cause for concern for ISU coach Greg McDermott.

“As I look at Drake, there are some statistics that just really jump off the page – [senior guard] Leonard Houston’s development from last year to this year is very impressive,” McDermott said. “Of course [sophomore guard] Josh Young continues to be very consistent shooting the ball and playing off the dribble.” Houston entered Wednesday’s game averaging 18.5 points per game, followed closely by Young’s 16.7 per outing. The tandem of guards is also key to the quick defense Drake can play, both when it uses its press and falls into its zone defense.

“Drake does a great job of turning you over and making you play a way that you don’t want to play. They’ve found a way to turn people over a lot and we’ll have to attack their zone,” said McDermott, who is 8-3 in his coaching career against the Bulldogs. “We obviously haven’t shot the ball particularly well from the 3-point line, and that’s one way to loosen up a zone. We’ll have to find a way to try to get the ball into the teeth of that defense to get the ball to some of our big guys down low.”

One of those big guys, sophomore forward Cory Johnson, said it will be on their shoulders to contribute to – and win – the battle against the Bulldogs down low.

“I just try to be a presence down there all the time, whether it’s rebounding or just getting a deep seal for some easy looks at the basket or opening up the floor for our guards,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, we can take advantage of that.”

Clark said the matchup with an in-state rival only adds fuel to the fire – for both the players and the fans.

“[The fans] want to see their favorite team win, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We want to please the fans and, as well, please us.”