Fred Hoiberg

Fred Hoiberg

Iowa State pulled out early and cruised to an easy 83-54 win over Drake in the Big Four Classic in Des Moines. Cyclone coach Fred Hoiberg.

“I loved our rhythm, we got out to a great start which was a key for us, we knew they were going to try to control the tempo of this game. But we got up 16 and really extended that…we wanted to control the tempo tonight and really did a good job of it,” Hoiberg says. Hoiberg played some different rotations early and was asked if that will continue.
“I just go into each game and try to coach by feel, who has got it going out there, foul trouble obviously will play a part, who gets tired at certain times,” Hoiberg says. “But like I told those guys, they can go out there and play to exhaustion, we’ve got other guys we can put in the game for them, and hopefully they can do the same thing and we can do those rotations.”

Ray Giacoletti

Ray Giacoletti

Drake coach Ray Giacoletti, credited the 13th ranked Cyclones with playing a good game. “It’s a very good basketball team, they are so versatile at every spot. Georges Ninang is something that you don’t see very often, a guy that versatile in so many different ways to score the basketball,” Giacoletti says.

Drake has struggled to get wins this season, and Giacoletti says they are working to build the team. Giacoletti says they are playing so many young guys they just want them to come together and talk and communicate no matter what the score is. “Yes it’s about today, but it’s about a month from now, a year from now,” Giacoletti says.

He says playing Iowa State showed his team what they need to strive for. “You want to get to big time college basketball, you just got a really good look and taste up close and personal. This is how it is at this level,” Giacoletti says. Giacoletti promises Drake will get better. “There’ll come a day when we’ll bring a team in here that will be able to win games in this Big Four Classic,” Giacoletti says.

Naz Long led Iowa State with 13 points, Monte Morris had 12, Dustin Hogue and Matt Thomas each had 10. Jacob Envold and Trevor Berkely each had 10 points for Drake.

Iowa State moves to 9-1 on the season and is off until a New Year’s Eve game at home against Mississippi Valley State. Drake is now 2-9 and plays Simpson Monday night.