Iowa State visits Drake in a men’s intra-state basketball matchup on Tuesday night. The Cyclones are 2-0 after a lopsided win over Chicago State and will be out to snap a three game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Drake lost its season opener to IUPUI and the Bulldogs were without standout guard Josh Young who was sidelined by a hip pointer.
Coach Mark Phelps says the injury can be nagging and painful, and they will have to see if he is ready to go. Phelps says the injury occurred last week in practice, and involves the muscles that attach to the hip, so any movement of his torso can cause pain.
Phelps says this is a much better Iowa State team than the one the Bulldogs topped in Ames a year ago. He says returning players are bigger, stronger and faster and the newcomers have added more athleticism. He says Craig Brackins is a bonafide All-American candidate.
Iowa State coach Greg McDermott says despite losing their opener the Bulldogs showed they will be tough to guard. He says if they can score 82 points without Young in the lineup is impressive. He says they lost a tough game last year and his team is excited to go on the road to see how they do.
They Cyclones have the advantage in terms of experience inside and McDermott says they can not afford to settle for three point shots against Drake’s zone. This will be Iowa State’s first road test of the season. McDermott says as a coach you always wonder how your team will respond for the first time.
The Cyclones will be looking to snap a three game losing streak in the series.