The Fred Hoiberg Era at Iowa State has come to an end. It is a tough pill to swallow, but perhaps this cliché will help ISU fans get through the pain: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

In an effort to bring some smiles back to Ames, let’s count down some of the top moments from the Hoiberg Era.

Honorable mention: 2013 vs. Iowa

It was the most highly anticipated game between the two schools in years. The first ranked matchup between the two schools in more than 25 years and the game did not disappoint. The now-famous Georges Niang reverse layup followed by Mike Gessel missing two free throws and Zach McCabe missing a wide-open three pointer for the tie. Hilton Magic prevails in a rivalry game against two top-25 teams.

5. 2013 vs. Michigan

Iowa State 77, No. 7 Michigan 70

Let’s talk about the game first. With No. 7 Michigan rolling into town and the first real test of the season, the Cyclones pull out a seven-point victory and the Hilton faithful storm the court. Aside from the game, ISU fans were treated to a special entrance of former ISU and Michigan coach Johnny Orr, followed closely by Hoiberg. Orr would die a little more than a month later. A special moment for Orr, Hoiberg and all the fans who got to witness it.

4. 2014 vs. Ok State (x2)

Iowa State 98, Oklahoma State 97 (3OT)

Iowa State 85, Oklahoma State 81 (OT)

We should just call these the Naz Long games. Two games, four overtimes and Naz Long saving the day twice. Long hit a 3 with just more than a second left to force a third overtime at Oklahoma State and hit a buzzer-beater to force overtime at home against Oklahoma State.  

3. 2015 vs. Kansas

Iowa State 86, Kansas 81

First of all, any Iowa State/Kansas game in the past few years has been big. Add in the fact that ESPN College GameDay visited Ames for the first time ever and the magnitude of the budding Kansas and Iowa State rivalry increased even more. The Cyclones scored a win on the big stage and the season’s sky-high expectations got even higher.

2. 2014 Sweet 16 run

Iowa State 93, NC Central 57

Iowa State 85, North Carolina 83

Connecticut 81, Iowa State 76

This memory is a bittersweet one. The good: Iowa State advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000. The bad: ISU fans are left with what ifs after a Georges Niang injury derailed what many ISU fans believe could have been a Final Four run. The Cyclones fell to eventual champion Connecticut by the narrowest margin of victory the Huskies would have during the NCAA tournament.

1. Back-to-back Big 12 tournament champions

2014

Iowa State 91, Kansas State 86

Iowa State 94, Kansas 83

Iowa State 74, Baylor 65

2015

Iowa State 69, Texas 67

Iowa State 67, Oklahoma 65

Iowa State 70, Kansas 66

There are no sweeter memories than the ones ISU fans experienced during the past two Big 12 championships. Hilton South, as ISU fans like to call the Sprint Center in Kansas City, was established and Iowa State asserted itself as a post-season force to be reckoned with.

The Cyclones followed up the 2014 Big 12 championship with another in 2015. It started with a Monte Morris buzzer-beater and the following games were just as exciting. The Cyclones came back from down double-digits in each game before claiming their second straight Big 12 tournament title.