Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg says the Cyclones have learned that “you play like you practice” and that is a big reason for their 2-0 start in the Big 12. The Cyclones return to action on Wednesday night at home when they take on Missouri.

“It’s nice to coach, to have the confidence going into a game because you know your guys are prepared, it’s a terrible feeling when you have poor practices leading into games and you are not sure which team is going to show up,” Hoiberg says. He says they’ve had a very businesslike approach to practices and carried that over into games.

Hoiberg says nearly losing to Mississippi Valley State in their final non-conference game served as a wake up call for his team. “I’ve been around this game for a long time and I don’t care what level it is, if you don’t have good practices and good preparation, you’re not going to go out there and perform during the games,” Hoiberg says. “Or preparation changed, and we’ve been much better, our attention to small detail has been off the charts and I think that has allowed us to play better basketball.”

Iowa State sophomore Royce White has been named the Big-12 Conference Rookie of the Week. White posted a triple-double in Saturday’s victory at Texas A&M with 10 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists as the Cyclones snapped a 10 game road losing streak. Hoiberg knew White had a lot of talent but even he has been surprised by how well he passes the ball

Iowa State is 12-3 overall.