Iowa and Drake meet in Des Moines

The Iowa Hawkeyes visit Drake tonight looking to continue a string of victories in the series that has now reached 25. The Hawks are 3-1 and nationally ranked after an impressive trip to Maui. Iowa coach Steve Alford does not expect a letdown, he says if Drake beats his team, it’s because they were better on that night, not because they overlooked the Bulldogs.For many teams, the first game back from Hawaii is lackluster. Alford is not expecting that. He says there’s no excuses, as his team knew they were going to have a very difficult five game stretch and this will test their mental toughness.Alford says the Hawkeyes need a lot of improvement defensively and they will be tested tonight. He says they’re good in transition, make or miss. He says they really like to get the ball up and down the floor and he says his team needs to control their tansition game. Drake enters tonight’s game with Iowa 1-1 and the Bulldogs will be looking to bounce back from a 73-46 loss at Iowa State. Coach Tom Davis says his players have come off that loss with the right attitude. He says they recognize they have a long way to go to improve.Davis says Iowa, Iowa State and UNI all appear headed for strong seasons and the Bulldogs need to do their part. He says they each have proven they can play at a good level, and he says his team is the question mark when it comes to proving they can play at a post-season level. Davis says the in-state games have added interest this time of year, and he says he hopes the fans at all four like seeing how the teams match up. Iowa leads the all-time series 51-7 and Drake’s last win was December ninth of 1978.