Cyclones Face EA Sports In Final Tune-up

Iowa State (0-0, 0-0) vs. EA Sports (0-0, 0-0)

Nov. 4, 2007 ? 6 p.m. ? Ames, Iowa ? Hilton Coliseum (14,356)

Radio: Cyclone Radio Network/Learfield

Talent: John Walters (pxp); Eric Heft (color)

Webcast: Clone Zone at cyclones.com (videoboard feed)

Cyclone Notebook

-Iowa State finishes off its exhibition slate on Sunday with a 6 p.m. showdown against EA Sports...the Cyclones begin their regular-season on Nov. 9 against Winston-Salem State in the first round of the American Family Insurance Cyclone Challenge.

-ISU improved to 38-4 in exhibition games dating back to the 1983-84 season after a 66-38 win over Dubuque Thursday night.

-ISU starting center Jiri Hubalek will miss his second consecutive game...Hubalek suffered an avulsion fracture in practice on Oct. 27...he is hoping to be back by ISU's first game on Nov. 9 (Winston-Salem State).

-The Iowa State-EA Sports game can be viewed live via internet through the Clone Zone subscription at cyclones.com.

Last Game Review

-The Cyclones were victorious in the exhibition opener on Thursday, defeating Dubuque, 66-38...ISU had nine players compete for the first time in a Cyclone uniform.

-ISU led 40-17 at the half and made 7-of-12 3-pointers in the opening period...the Cyclones had a 41-point lead (63-22) with less than 11 minutes in the game before sending in the reserves to close out the contest...all 10 players that played in the first half scored for the Cyclones.

-The Cyclones received a strong performance from true freshman Craig Brackins...the heralded rookie started the game, recording 10 points, six rebounds and four blocks.

-Senior Rahshon Clark was 5-for-8 from the field en route to a team-high 12 points...Clark also led the Cyclones on the boards with seven caroms...Wesley Johnson added 11 points behind a 3-for-3 effort from beyond the arc.

-Three newcomers started for the Cyclones in Brackins, Bryan Petersen and Alex Thompson...Petersen and Thompson are both transfers...Petersen did not score, but had four assists and no turnovers in 10 minutes of action.

-Another true freshman, Charles Boozer, came off the bench and fired in three treys en route to nine points...rookie Clayton Vette tallied four points and seven boards in the winning effort.

-ISU held the Spartans to just 29.6 percent shooting and forced 25 turnovers.

EA Sports-Iowa State Ties

-EA Sports head coach Maury Hanks was an assistant coach at Drake under former head coach Rudy Washington...the Voice of the Cyclones, John Walters, was the play-by-play voice for Drake when Hanks was there.

-EA Sports forward Elvin Mims is familiar with Hilton Coliseum...Mims was a star for Southern Mississippi when the Golden Eagles played against Iowa State in the 2000 Cyclone Challenge...Mims recorded 18 points and 11 boards while almost upsetting the nationally-ranked Cyclones, 69-67 on Dec. 2, 2000...Mims averaged 20.0 points and shot 65.2 percent from the floor (15-of-23) to earn Cyclone Challenge All-Tournament honors.

-EA Sports guard Jason Forte played for former ISU head coach Larry Eustachy at Southern Mississippi...Forte had three points and seven rebounds in ISU's 58-57 win over EA Sports last season in Hilton Coliseum.

A Closer Look At EA Sports

-EA Sports is playing its third game on a four-game tour against ISU on Sunday...EAS defeated Utah State, 86-81 and fell to Creighton, 88-75...the squad will end its tour against LSU, Nov. 6.

-Roberto Bergersen led EAS in the Utah State win, going 6-of-8 from the floor, including 4-of-5 from downtown, en route to 20 points.

-Cory Violette had the hot hand vs. Creighton, going 6-of-9 from the floor en route to 13 points and grabbing six boards...Violette is averaging 13.0 points and shooting 64.7 percent from the floor (11-17 FG) in EA Sports' two games.

-This marks the ninth time ISU will face an EA/Global Sports team...ISU is 7-1 all-time against the exhibition group.

-EA Sports is comprised of an outstanding group of former college players...forward Violette was a three-time all-WCC performer at Gonzaga from 2001-04...Violette finished his career as Gonzaga's third all-time leading rebounder with 880 boards...he also scored 1,342 points in his career.

-Bergersen was the Big West Player of the Year while ranking 11th nationally in scoring (22.2 ppg) in his senior season at Boise State in 1998-99...he owns Boise State's single-season scoring mark (644 points) and was the 52nd pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, getting selected in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks.

-Center Lance Allred played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Developmental league a year ago...Allred averaged 17.7 points and 12.0 rebounds as a senior at Weber State in the 2004-05 season.

-Center Dalron Johnson was a star at UNLV from 2000-02...Johnson averaged 17.4 points and 7.0 rebounds as a senior for the Rebels in 2001-02.

EA Sports Roster

No-Name Pos. Ht. Wt. College Pts. Reb. Asst.

10-Mitchell Baldwin G 6-1 180 Charlotte 6.0 1.0 3.0

22-Nick Porter G 6-3 215 Creighton 6.0 2.5 3.0

23-Roberto Bergersen G 6-5 210 Boise State 12.5 2.0 2.5

32-Jason Forte G 6-4 215 Southern Mississippi 12.0 3.5 3.5

33-Dalron Johnson C 6-9 240 UNLV 7.5 5.0 1.0

42-Earnest Scott F 6-7 220 Valdosta State 7.5 1.5 2.0

44-Elvin Mims F 6-5 215 Southern Mississippi 6.5 4.0 0.5

50-Lance Allred C 6-10 250 Weber State 9.5 3.5 1.0

55-Cory Violette C 6-8 255 Gonzaga 13.0 7.5 3.0

HC: Maury Hanks

NBA Heritage

-Iowa State has a number of players on its roster with ties to the NBA.

-Freshman Charles Boozer and junior Sean Haluska have brothers who are on current NBA rosters. Boozer's brother, Carlos, is one of the top post players in the NBA, making the 2006-07 All-Star team. Boozer averaged 20.9 points and 11.7 rebounds in 2006-07, leading the Utah Jazz to the Western Conference Finals. He is also a member of the USA Basketball Select team that will compete for a Gold medal at the 2008 Olympics Beijing.

-Haluska's brother, Adam, who played one year at Iowa State (2002-03) before transferring to Iowa, is a rookie with the New Orleans Hornets. Haluska led the Big Ten in scoring last year, averaging 20.5 ppg while earning first-team all-Big Ten honors.

-Freshman Diante Garrett also has outstanding basketball roots. His father, Dick, played five seasons in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, averaging 10.3 ppg. Garrett played in the 1970 NBA Finals for the Lakers against the Knicks.

Who Are These Guys?

-The Iowa State roster is loaded with a number of new faces...a total of nine members of the squad suited up in a Cyclone uniform for the first time against Dubuque...the list included six freshmen, two junior college transfers and one transfer from a four-year college...the total should have been 10, but Lucca Staiger was declared ineligible by the NCAA Amateur Certification board.

-The new freshmen included guards Diante Garrett, Charles Boozer, Marcus Brister and Cameron Lee...Lee was a member of ISU's practice squad last year but did not suit up for any games...Garrett, Boozer and Brister will likely see plenty of action in their first season...the Cyclones lost virtually all of its backcourt from last season...Corey McIntosh transferred to Augustana (S.D.) and Dodie Dunson transferred to Vincennes Junior College in Indiana...Mike Taylor, ISU's leading scorer last year (16.0 ppg), was dismissed from the team.

-McDermott added two junior college transfers into the mix in guards Bryan Petersen and Sean Haluska...both were recruited walk-ons who were later put on scholarship...both are also candidates to see playing time at the guard position.

-Ames native Alex Thompson will finally get the chance to get on the court after sitting out the entire 2006-07 season as a transfer from Iowa...Thompson played two seasons at Iowa and will help bolster ISU's inside game...Thompson, a 6-9, 250-pound junior, has already put on 25 pounds since he transferred to ISU in the summer of 2006.

Exhibition Records

-Iowa State has been playing exhibition games since the 1950s...however, records of exhibition contests played before 1983 are sketchy.

-Iowa State is 38-4 in exhibition games since the 1983-84 season...the majority of ISU's exhibitions were against AAU teams, foreign national teams or teams comprised of former college players specifically gathered for preseason exhibitions.

-In the 2004-05 season, the NCAA passed a rule where schools could play other NCAA schools in lower divisions in an exhibition game...ISU played Bemidji State in 2004 and 2005 and played Wayne State in 2006.

-This marks the ninth consecutive year where ISU will play a EA Sports/Global Sports team.

Iowa State Team Quick Facts

-Iowa State is celebrating 100 years of men's hoops this season...ISU announced a 15-player All-Century team in the summer and will play host to a centennial celebration on Feb. 15-16, inviting back all former letterwinners and coaches for a two-day celebration.

-ISU returns just one player in the backcourt that played over 100 minutes last season (walk-on Brock Jacobson played 154 minutes in 2006-07).

-Junior college transfers Sean Haluska and Bryan Petersen joined the team as recruited walk-ons but have been placed on scholarship for this season.

-ISU head coach Greg McDermott is the first native Iowan to coach the Cyclones since Clayton Sutherland (1948-54)...McDermott is from Cascade; Sutherland was from Nashua.

-McDermott entered the 2007-08 season with the 55th-best winning percentage among Division I coaches.

Hilton Magic

-Hilton Coliseum has long been considered one of the toughest places to play in college basketball...built in 1971 and playing in its 36th season, ISU has recorded a 74.3 percent winning mark, compiling a 397-137 record.

-ISU has recorded four undefeated seasons at home since Hilton was erected (1985-86, 1992-93, 1999-00, 2000-01).

-ISU ranked 25th nationally in attendance in 2006-07 (12,489).

-Fans voted Iowa State and Hilton Coliseum as the nation's No. 1 team in regards to school spirit in a pll during ESPN's "student spirit" week in 2006-07.

Cyclones Face EA Sports In Final Tune-up

Players Mentioned

Charles Boozer

Craig Brackins

Rahshon Clark

Rahshon Clark

Dodie Dunson

Diante Garrett

Sean Haluska

Jiri Hubalek

Jiri Hubalek

Brock Jacobson

Brock Jacobson

Wesley Johnson

Wesley Johnson

Cameron Lee

Corey McIntosh

Bryan Petersen

Lucca Staiger

Mike Taylor

Alex Thompson

Alex Thompson

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Iowa State University Athletics

Cyclones Face EA Sports In Final Tune-up

Related News

Players Mentioned

Charles Boozer

Craig Brackins

Rahshon Clark

Rahshon Clark

Dodie Dunson

Diante Garrett

Sean Haluska

Jiri Hubalek

Jiri Hubalek

Brock Jacobson

Brock Jacobson

Wesley Johnson

Wesley Johnson

Cameron Lee

Corey McIntosh

Bryan Petersen

Lucca Staiger

Mike Taylor

Alex Thompson

Alex Thompson

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