Iowa-Iowa State. The rivalry is steeped in tradition. The names Lafester Rhodes, Jeff Moe, and even Matt Knoll come to mind when talking about one of the best interstate feuds in the country.

Which player will step up and be remembered in this year’s contest? There probably won’t be another Rhodes, who poured in 54 points in ISU’s memorable 102-100 win in 1987.

But there might be another Matt Knoll, who missed a shot at the buzzer two years ago that would’ve given Iowa State a 61-60 win.

In 1996, the Cyclones were led by Kenny Pratt and Shawn Bankhead, who made up for the injured Dedric Willougby and led the Cyclones to an 81-74 victory in Iowa City.

A season ago, the Cyclones were blown out in Iowa City 74-54. Marcus Fizer was hit with a technical and then hit the bench and finished with two points in the loss.

There have been a number of games in the series that could have gone either way, like the game four years ago.

Playing without Kelvin Cato, the Cyclones and Hawkeyes played to a punishing defensive struggle, with Iowa leading 19-14 at half-time.

The lack of execution down the stretch led to ISU falling, 56-50, despite Kenny Pratt’s 18 point performance.

And how about the game in 1990, when the Cyclones went into nationally ranked Iowa with a record of 1-6?

ISU fought until the end before succumbing 75-73.

In 1991, the Cyclones and Hawkeyes staged another shootout with ISU winning 98-84 behind Justus Thigpen’s 28 points.

This year’s game has the chance to rank among those classics. With a stronger backcourt and the ability to push the ball up the floor, this year’s Cyclones should match up well with the Hawkeyes.

The matchup of Jamaal Tinsley and Dean Oliver is among the most interesting. Tinsley still sometimes appears to be playing on the playgrounds of his native Brooklyn.

Oliver, from Mason City, is talented enough to go on to the professional ranks and will provide Tinsley with his toughest challenge of his young career.

Iowa has an interesting decision to make as to who will be guarding Marcus Fizer.

Among the candidates are Jacob Jaaks, the roundly hated 6-8 forward from Cedar Rapids.However, Jaaks may be deemed too important to the Hawkeyes on the offensive end to risk picking up early fouls on Fizer, who has mostly dominated in the Cyclones 5-2 start.

Duez Henderson, a rangy 6-7 sophomore, could get the nod to check the All-Big 12 forward, while Rod Thompson and even Rob Griffin could get the chance.

Earlier in the season, Eustachy was asked if the Cyclones could win if Fizer had a subpar game.

“Maybe if we were playing Ames Junior High,” he said.

Kantrail Horton has shown the ability to hit the open jumper, and Michael Nurse has been tremendous this season.

For the Hawkeyes, Kyle Galloway and Ryan Luehrsmann provide the punch from the outside, while Thompson and Griffin have been solid in the middle.

These two teams appear to be very close in ability, and how well Fizer plays should spell the difference in the game.