Millions of Americans hear the famous video game tagline every day: “EA Sports – It’s in the game.”

This includes members of the ISU men’s basketball team.

“I love EA Sports,” said senior forward Jessan Gray. “I play a little bit of everything [they release], but I love NCAA Basketball. You get to play as yourself, so it’s really cool watching the TV and thinking ‘Hey, I don’t have to create myself because I’m already in the game.'”

Friday night, the Cyclones open their season with an exhibition game against EA Sports, a traveling team made up of former college players, sponsored by the video game giant.

Gray will have to sit out that game because of a wrist injury. With Gray, the lone senior likely to see a lot of playing time this year, unable to display senior leadership on the court, Iowa State’s batch of inexperienced youngsters will be forced to grow up quickly.

Normally fans wouldn’t have reason to worry about a preseason exhibition game. This, however, is no ordinary exhibition game – Iowa State is out for revenge.

EA Sports beat the Cyclones last year, 64-57, only the third exhibition game Iowa State has lost dating back to 1983. The Cyclones are 36-3 all-time in exhibition games.

The players, however, say they’re up to the challenge presented by the juggernaut of the video game world.

“We’re not nervous at all,” said freshman guard Dodie Dunson. “We just have to come prepared to play. You can’t blow off any game. Every game that you play, you’ve got to take it for real. You can’t just come out and half-play yourself.”

Gray has stressed the importance of Friday’s game to his younger teammates.

“My whole thing (pointing to the cast on his arm) is I can’t be out there, so it hurts,” he said. “Last year, we didn’t fulfill everything we thought we should have in that game, so I just hope we can put the mindframe into the younger guys this year that this game does mean a lot to us.

“Every game means a lot to us, and we’ll prepare for this game just like we’ll prepare for Texas and Kansas down the line.”

Gray added that revenge isn’t the only thing on the Iowa State’s mind – players and coaches alike are anxious to see how this year’s team, which returns only four scholarship players from last year, handles its first test of the season.

“Not only is this game important, but it shows our coaching staff where we’re at,” he said.

After much anticipation, new head coach Greg McDermott is looking forward to seeing his team finally compete in a game situation.

“You learn things about your team when you get them on the floor and the lights are on for real,” he said. “That’s the one reason I’m looking forward to the game on Friday – we just need to play with the lights on. We’re not ready to play, and we’re making too many mistakes to play a game right now, but we need to play just for that reason.”

McDermott, in fact, might be the only member of the team nervous going into the game, but that may have something to do with the possibility of having four freshman on the court at the same time.

“It scares me a little bit, but it’s a hand we’ve been dealt. We’re preparing them to be on the floor by putting them into as many possible situations as we possibly can so they know how to respond when it happens in a game,” he said.

It pleases McDermott, however, that his players are entering the season with a high level of confidence.

“I want them to think that way,” he said. “We as a coaching staff won’t go into a game that we don’t think we can win. We’ll put together a plan and give the guys a way of executing that plan that we feel will give us a chance.”

Some of the Cyclones noted that Friday’s game isn’t just about revenge in real life, but playing to defend the pride of their virtual selves as well. Many of the players have some reservations about how well their video game counterparts are presented in “NCAA March Madness 2007,” a game developed by EA Sports.

“I plan on buying the NCAA game,” said junior guard Corey McIntosh. “I don’t know if I’m in the game this year, but I hope so, so I don’t have to create myself. It would be fun to see how they make me, but I might be yelling at it a lot. I may get a little upset if I’m like ‘He’s supposed to make that.'”

Gray, on the other hand, just hopes he still has his jump shot.

“In 2004, I was real nice – I could shoot,” he said. “I was number 33 at Indiana. Last year, I was OK, and that’s putting it mildly. My size in the game is long and slender, but I can shoot. I still got my shot and that’s my main thing, so I got to make sure I got my shot in there this year,” he said.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. Friday at Hilton Coliseum. Fans not in attendance can watch the game live via a webcast at www.cyclones.com.