Iowa State Coach Bill Fennelly’s only advice to transfer point guard Stacy Frese on Saturday is, “just remember we’re wearing white.”

Frese who played one season for Iowa two years ago, will face her former teammates Saturday at noon in Hilton Coliseum.

But Frese is not the only one to whom the game means a lot.

In addition to Frese, ISU will feature three other Iowa natives (Jayme Olson, Janel Grimm and Monica Huelman) at the opening tip.

“We’re obviously very excited about playing,” Fennelly said. “It’s up to Iowa State to make this a rivalry.”

Fennelly said his team should be able to do just that with Frese on his side.

Fennelly said he hopes his floor general will be able to handle Iowa’s defensive pressure as well as she has battled the pressure of the media flood regarding this game.

He said that once the game starts, the spotlight will go away from Frese until after the game.

He said win or lose, Frese is likely to catch the positive or negative attention, which is normal for a point guard or a coach.

Frese is just looking at the contest as another chance for ISU basketball to continue its turn-around.

“I’m excited to play the game. I just want to go out there and play my hardest and see what happens,” Frese said. “I’m trying not to focus on the attention.”

Fennelly said he hopes his team can make the battle live up to all the pre-game hype, which he said is great for women’s basketball in the state.

He pointed to the excellent in-state rivalries in football, wrestling and men’s basketball, and said, “I hope women’s basketball becomes one of those sports.”

ISU will have to counter Iowa’s size and athleticism by playing harder and smarter. Iowa’s front line stands 6’4″, 6’4″ and 6’4″.

Fennelly is looking for a huge sea of cardinal and gold in the stands for the afternoon game.

“We’re hoping for a little Hilton magic of our own,” he said.

Last year the Cyclones lost a hard-fought game to the Hawkeyes by the final score of 64-53. He said his team will need to improve upon its 2 for 22 three-point shooting from last year’s contest.

Iowa has beaten ISU 10 straight times, dating back to 1982.

This year, the Hawkeyes have struggled through their first seven games and have a 3-4 record. ISU is 7-2.

Despite the difference in records, Frese said the Cyclones are the underdogs, though they have the ability to pick up the win.

“Who goes out there and plays harder is going to get the victory,” she said.

Many of Iowa’s problems have been due to a tough schedule and several key injuries.

Fennelly said that although much has been made of Iowa’s injury-plagued season, the Hawkeyes still have four high school All-Americans in their starting line-up.

“If that’s shorthanded, I hope our program gets to that point,” Fennelly said.

He said the Hawkeyes look similar to past Iowa teams, but this one may be even more determined.

Fennelly said his players must play more fundamentally if they expect to beat the Iowa team he feels will be NCAA Tournament-bound in March.

ISU will try to come back after a loss at Drake Tuesday night. Frese said how the team plays will indicate the team’s overall heart.

“All good teams bounce back after a defeat,” she said.

This game could do a lot for the victor.

“Both team are searching for a big win,” Fennelly said.