A familiar face greeted Cyclone basketball fans and players on Wednesday night as Michael Nurse returned to Hilton Coliseum for an exhibition game as a member of the (Next Level) Global Sports team.

Next Level lost 85-72 to Iowa State in the game, but Nurse provided his share of excitement.

Despite shooting only 1-9 from the floor, Nurse received a standing ovation from the crowd of 12,776 people after he committed his fifth foul with 11 seconds remaining. Nurse exited the floor to the clapping and cheers from not only the crowd but also from his former teammates and coaches.

The visit to Hilton was his first since a 72-61 victory over Oklahoma State on Feb. 26, 2000 in which Nurse helped lead the Cyclones to the win.

The Global Sports team is currently on a tour of Division I basketball opponents and have beaten the likes of Kansas State, Nebraska, Creighton, South Alabama and Nevada, while dropping games to Iowa State, Auburn and ISU head coach Larry Eustachy’s former school, Utah State.

According to Nurse, the Cyclones measure up well against the Big 12 teams that Next Level has seen on the tour so far.

“We beat those teams,” he said. “We lost by 13 in this game, and we beat Nebraska by 20 something and Kansas State in overtime by about 11. The way it stacks up right now, this is the best team in the Big 12 in my eyes.”

Nurse said he was very impressed at what he saw in the exhibition and pointed to the defense on him as a key eliminate in the win.

“I was the leading scorer coming into this game, and I think I finished with two points,” Nurse said. “I had nothing, nothing at all. The defense they played against me was incredible.”

Nurse may of saw a successor to himself in freshmen Jake Sullivan, an Oakdale, Minn. native. Nurse said he was impressed in what he saw from the 6-foot-1 guard.

“Sullivan shot the lights out. Everyone saw that,” he said. “He wasn’t even nervous in his first game at Iowa State. He really hurt us there with the jump shot.”

After the contest, Nurse spoke strongly about the chances for his former teammates to surpass preseason predictions for the 2000-2001 season.

Iowa State made an appearance in the preseason polls, and currently stands at No. 23 in one national poll and at No. 25 in the other.

“This team is a very good team,” Nurse said. “I don’t believe they’re worthy of the ranking they have right now. They’re a top 15 team, and they’ll prove it as the season goes on.”