Two years ago, Adam Haluska was preparing for the annual Iowa State-Iowa showdown.

Haluska hit the floor wearing Iowa State’s cardinal and gold and scored 12 points to help lead the Cyclones past their intrastate foe.

Friday night, when Haluska puts on his uniform, he will be on the other side suiting up for Iowa.

Haluska left Iowa State after the 2002-03 season, transferring to Iowa after ISU head coach Larry Eustachy resigned after pictures surfaced of him partying with University of Missouri students.

The Carroll native redshirted last season because of the transfer, but is back and playing for a Hawkeye team that is ranked No. 17. His presence on the other side of the floor will stir emotions for his former friends and teammates John Neal and Jared Homan.

Neal and Haluska have remained friends and still talk on a regular basis.

“I actually talked to Adam a couple days ago to see how he’s doing,” Neal said. “We probably talk once a week, just to see how he’s doing, what he’s up to.”

In the end, it came down to what Haluska thought was best for him, so the Cyclone freshman packed his bags for the other side of the state.

“He made a decision a couple years ago that he wanted to leave Iowa State and that he wanted to go play [at Iowa],” Neal said. “If he’s happy with it, that’s great.

“I would have liked to see him stay. If he wanted to leave and he wasn’t happy, there’s no reason to stay somewhere if you’re not happy or you don’t like certain things about the program.”

Homan said the transfer was Haluska’s choice.

“He had to do what he had to do,” Homan said. “If he thought going to Iowa was the best situation for him and everyone else involved, more power to him. That’s something only he can decide.”

With Haluska on the other side of the floor, the feeling for their former partner will not be the same.

“Of course it’s different,” Homan said. “Back then, he was my teammate. Now he’s not my teammate, he’s my opponent. Obviously I’m not going to be out there coaching him and helping him on the court.

“He’s going to be my opponent, and we’re just going to go after their team for 40 minutes and try to come away with a victory.”

Haluska has become an important part of the Iowa squad early in the season, averaging 12.5 points per game. He completes one of the top guard trios Iowa State will see, teaming with Jeff Horner and Pierre Pierce.

“The guards can really shoot and Pierre Pierce is a good driver,” said ISU guard Will Blalock. “We have to contain those guys if we’re looking to win the game.”

Horner leads the team with a 16.6 points per game average, with Pierce right behind at 16 a contest.