Two years ago, Iowa State’s men’s basketball team escaped Des Moines with a three-point win over the Drake Bulldogs.

The 65-62 win over the Bulldogs helped ISU’s inexperienced team get on track and helped spur the Cyclones to a 24-9 overall record.

“We had a new team and it really was a tough battle,” Floyd said. “I don’t expect this one to be any different.”

Two years later, the story is much the same, as the Cyclones look for another big road win to gain confidence for the upcoming Big 12 season.

“It’s an important game for us from that standpoint,” Coach Tim Floyd said. “We have a brand-new team and no road experience.”

The Cyclones have played all five regular season games and both exhibition match-ups in friendly Hilton Coliseum.

Tonight at 7 p.m., ISU will be greeted by a chorus of boos and a different pair of rims.

Drake is 2-0 at the Knapp Center this season.

“I always think there’s difference between playing at home and on the road,” Floyd said.

The Cyclones have been pegged all season as an inexperienced team, but in this battle, the Bulldogs are equally youthful, with five first-year performers playing a big part of the Bulldogs’ start.

Former West Des Moines star Matt Woodley, whose father Mike is an assistant football coach at ISU, is Drake’s leading scorer, sinking an average of 15.8 points per game.

It is Woodley’s first year as a Bulldog after transferring from North Dakota State and then having to sit out a year.

“He’s been really steady,” Floyd said of Woodley. “He’s a young man who has made tremendous improvement in his game.”

Woodley, a guard, should provide good competition for ISU’s still-improving backcourt.

Despite the scoring lift from off-guard Jerry Curry last weekend, Floyd said his team needs more help from its guards, or “it’s going to be a real battle.”

ISU is led by forward Klay Edwards, who is leading the team in points and rebounds. He is nearly averaging a double-double, currently nabbing 17 points and 9.8 boards per contest.

ISU has defeated Drake 11 straight times. ISU is 4-1 on the season and is looking to avoid another loss to an in-state rival.