With ISU basketball prospering like never before, both Cyclone squads are moving from the hunter to the hunted.

For the first time in school history, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are in first place this late in the season. The squads are both coming off huge wins, with the women defeating first-place Oklahoma by 15 points at home, while the men had a tough 10-point win at Missouri.

With a combined record of 38-6, the men’s and women’s teams have the best combined winning percentage of any school in the nation.

“I’m just glad we’re a part of it. I’m happy we’re not the team dragging that record down,” women’s coach Bill Fennelly said.

He also recognizes that this is truly a unique year for Iowa State.

“I’ve never been a part of this. When I came here, the men were great, and we were just OK. Then the last couple of years, we played really well, and the men were kind of down. It really is a great time to be an Iowa State basketball fan,” Fennelly said.

The men will take on Nebraska on Saturday night at Hilton Coliseum. Earlier this season, Iowa State escaped with a one-point win in Lincoln when Husker forward Larry Florence missed two shots in the last four seconds.

In that game, Nebraska had no answer for Marcus Fizer. The Big 12 Player of the Year candidate registered 26 points and 11 rebounds in Iowa State’s win.

Since that game, the Huskers have lost four of seven games in the conference and stand at 3-6 in Big 12 play. Nebraska has not won a Big 12 road game yet and for the season are 0-9 away from the Devaney Center.

But ISU coach Larry Eustachy says that the Huskers are still a team to fear.

“They are a very talented team, and it’s all about talent. We have to be ready to play every game, it’s not going to get any easier,” Eustachy said.

The Cyclones had trouble with Larry Florence in the last contest, as the junior forward scored 17 points.

Coming on of late has been Kimani Ffriend, who is a candidate for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. The junior college transfer is averaging 12.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game.

The Huskers have four players averaging at least 10.4 points, but none more than 12.6.

The women, meanwhile, face Kansas State at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan Sunday afternoon.

The Wildcats are the only team this year to take ISU down to the wire at home, falling 64-61 on Jan. 25.

In that contest, the Cyclones shot just 33 percent, and escaped largely because of the play of Desir‚e Francis, who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on the night.

Guards Stacy Frese and Megan Taylor combined to make only 6 of 25 shots, cold shooting that has not been seen very often in the past three seasons.

Kansas State’s game plan that evening was quite obvious: Slow the game down, and make Iowa State take tough shots.

“That’s what they do. They slow down the tempo, play solid defense and try to hang around and win it at the end,” Fennelly said.

While that strategy borders on conventional wisdom for playing on the road, Fennelly believes that the Wildcats will not change much when the teams match up in Manhattan.

“They are not at their best playing an up-tempo, 94-foot game, and we are. If you look at their scores, most of them are in the lower to mid 60s, so that’s just the way they play,” Fennelly said.

Taylor said that Iowa State has made a few changes since that game.

“We’ve made a few adjustments on offense and on defense. We’re going to mix things up a little bit,” Taylor said.

Even with Iowa State ranked 8th in the country and owning a share of the Big 12 lead, the Cyclones don’t feel they are the favorites to win the title just yet.

“I don’t know if we’re recognized as the best team, but I think we’re one of the best in the conference. There are a lot of good teams. Oklahoma has been a big surprise, and Kansas is a really good team,” Taylor said.

Fennelly said that parody reigned in the conference.

“I don’t think any team can say that they are the best. In the past, it’s been Texas or Colorado and everybody else, but it’s not like that at all this year. I think six or seven teams are going to go to the Big 12 tournament thinking they can win it, and that hasn’t happened before,” Fennelly said.

And that atmosphere will be helpful to all those expecting to compete in postseason play, says Fennelly.

“I think that’s really going to simulate what the NCAA tournament is going to be like. All big games late in the season will have that feel, and it’s good to play in games like that,” Fennelly said.

Although Iowa State is clearly focused on winning the Big 12, they also are looking ahead to the NCAA tournament.

“I think obviously we are looking to get one of the top four seeds, which would give us the homecourt for the first two games. But we’d also like to be in the Midwest Regional, because those games are in Kansas City,” Frese said.

With the amount of support the Cyclones get annually at the Big 12 Tournament, if things go their way the team just might have their path to the Final Four paved with cardinal and gold.