What is there to learn from a 115-48 victory in an exhibition game that does not count in any way towards the regular or postseason?

Perhaps more than the average fan would think.

First and foremost, the value of a game like the one Iowa State Men’s Basketball played Nov. 7 against Viterbo lies in the eradication of troublesome butterflies, which can assault the intestinal fortitude of players not used to the raucous atmosphere inside Hilton.

“I still remember the first time I took the court at Hilton and you get some jitters out of the way, especially the new guys,” said ISU coach Fred Hoiberg. “I told those guys before the game, those of you that take Hilton Coliseum for the first time will remember this night forever.”

The 13,963 fans packed Hilton to the rafters, making their voices heard as the Cyclones pummeled Viterbo. 

Junior guard Naz Long, who incited the full house time and again by striping five of seven 3-pointers on his way to a 17 point night, said he was not taken aback by the fan turnout but that it was a great source of pride.

“The fact that there were so many people in Hilton tonight was no surprise. It was just straight love,” Long said. “There was a line up two hours before the game for an exhibition game. [That] is something that a lot of kids cannot say that they have a chance to play in front of. We are blessed to have that. We have the best fan base in the country.”

The value for Long and his teammates extended beyond just getting the first Hilton showcase out of the way, as the team displayed a few glaring issues amidst the decimation of Viterbo.

After the game, Hoiberg spent most of his time lamenting the effort on the defensive side of the ball.

“Defensively, I thought we gave up too many open rhythm threes — especially in that first half,” Hoiberg said. “Talk was great for about the first four possessions and then it went down from there, so there are certainly some things we will watch film on and get better at.”

Offensively, the final chapter of the 2014-15 regular season prologue was wrought with foreshadowing.

The Cyclones shared the ball like a group of kids playing hot-potato at recess, totaling 26 assists and surpassing last year’s NCAA-leading average in that category by 7.5 dimes.

Iowa State shot a blinding 60.3 percent from the field, including 13-23 from behind the arc, matching their average total attempts from the 2013-14 campaign.

The Cyclones also went deep on the bench, as all 10 of its eligible players saw action and scored at least three points.

Senior transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones also conjured up some deja vu for ISU fans, who said goodbye to DeAndre Kane last March, as the senior transfer was in the starting lineup and electrified the crowd with three break-away slams — including a two-handed 180 that brought the entire stadium to its feet.

“I think [Dejean-Jones] just barely gave you guys a glimpse of what he can do,” said junior forward Georges Niang. “Obviously, you guys saw how athletic he was with those transition dunks … He is going to score a lot of points for us so I am real excited for what he is going to do this year.”

But the offense was not without its struggles either.

“The last two days of practice I thought we tried to hit a lot of home runs and it just was not working very well,” Hoiberg said. “Then we come down and make two simple plays and it is amazing the quality of shots you get when you do that-when you have good spacing.”

Iowa State has a week to work out the kinks before it takes the court for real against Oakland at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Hilton Coliseum.