ISU coach Fred Hoiberg said before the season that success in road games during Big 12 play would be the key to Iowa State knocking off Kansas and winning the first regular season conference title of the young coach’s era.

Redshirt junior and transfer Abdel Nader has taken that message to heart.

In Iowa State’s last two true road games against West Virginia on Jan. 10 and Iowa on Dec. 12, Nader has produced his two best efforts of the season. Both performances were vital to the ISU wins, as Iowa State was hampered by ineligibility issues versus Iowa and foul trouble against West Virginia.

Nader’s numbers have been eerily similar in the two contests.

Nader vs. Iowa: 19 points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 31 minutes played.

Nader vs. West Virginia: 19 points, seven rebounds and one block in 26 minutes.

Nader has shot better than 50 percent from the field in both contests and is quickly becoming Iowa State’s go-to player coming off the bench in tough road games, which will grow in number as Iowa State delves further into the teeth of the Big 12 schedule.

Read the full story about Iowa State’s triumph against West Virginia here.