It hasn’t even been six full years since Iowa State last played at Missouri, but it feels like a lifetime ago.

Missouri and Texas A&M were still members of the Big 12 that year while TCU and West Virginia were yet to join the conference.

Then again, Kansas won the Big 12 that season (2011-12) so maybe things aren’t so different after all.

Friday’s game in Columbia will be the 234th meeting all-time between Iowa State and Missouri, but the first since Feb. 29, 2012. Missouri won that game, 78-72.

Since then, of course, a lot has changed. Friday’s game is a matchup between two very different programs going in different directions.

Iowa State won 24 games last year. The season included a Big 12 Tournament championship and ended in a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Missouri, on the other hand, has won a total of 27 games over the last three years combined.

But a lot can change in one offseason.

Thanks in large part to Michael Porter Jr., Missouri’s 2017 recruiting class was ranked as the No. 4 class in the nation per 247Sports. Porter was the No. 2 recruit nationwide in the class and was recently named preseason All-American by the AP.

“Expectations are good for that game,” said freshman guard Lindell Wigginton before the season. He added, with a smile, “us two going up against each other, hopefully there’s gonna be a lot of NBA personnel.”

His younger brother, Jontay Porter, reclassified and is also a freshman at Missouri. The younger Porter brother was ranked as the No. 25 player in the nation after moving from the class of 2018 to 2017, according to 247Sports.

Wigginton won’t be the only Cyclone making his college basketball debut Friday night. After missing Sunday’s exhibition due to a coach’s decision, 6-foot-6 freshman guard Terrence Lewis will make his debut against Missouri, according to coach Steve Prohm.

Interestingly, while this is the first college game for the Porter brothers and for Iowa State’s freshmen, it won’t be the first time they’ve played each other.

Wigginton played against the Porters last year while all three were still in high school. Wigginton and his Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) team traveled to Seattle to take on Nathan Hale High School, led by the Porter brothers.

“We actually played them last year,” Wigginton said. “We played them on ESPN. They got the best of us. Mike Porter had a good game, I had a good game.”

Nathan Hale got the win over Oak Hill that night, 80-77. The two leading scorers in that star-studded matchup? Michael Porter Jr. and Lindell Wigginton. Porter finished with a game-high 36 points while Wigginton led his team with 22.

But while Wigginton — who said Wednesday he’s played Porter Jr. three times before — has familiarity with the Missouri star, he won’t be the one assigned to guard the potential first overall NBA Draft pick.

According to Prohm, that responsibility belongs to either of Iowa State’s redshirt juniors: Nick Weiler-Babb or Zoran Talley Jr.

“Babb, Talley, those are two guys that come to my mind right away [to match up with Porter Jr.],” Prohm said. “We’ll try different ways, but they’ve got more than [just him].”

Talley said he’s up for the challenge if it comes his way.

“I looked at his stats against Kansas [in an exhibition game] and he put up 20 shots,” Talley said. “He got to the free throw line a lot, so he’s being aggressive… he’s gonna make great shots, gonna make plays so [we can’t] get down on ourselves and just come back the next possession.”

It’s one of the most hyped up non-conference games Iowa State has played in recent history, thanks in large part to the talented freshmen making their collegiate debuts. Mizzou Arena is sold out for the first time in four seasons.

“They haven’t sold out a crowd in four years,” Talley said. “Since like, Jordan Clarkson and Phil Pressey were there at Missouri. So them selling out the first game of the season, there’s gonna be a lot of excitement.”