Kansas forward Landen Lucas (33) gets a talking to by head coach Bill Self after fouling out and following a little jaw-jacking with Georgetown's Josh Smith during the second half on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014 at Verizon Center in Washington D.C.

Ames, Iowa ? Hilton Coliseum, home of the Iowa State basketball team, is where super fan Melvin Weatherwax confronted Bill Self and screamed at the Kansas University coach after Elijah Johnson dunked with one second left in KU’s 108-96 overtime victory in 2013.

It’s where ref Darron George hurt his wrist trying to elude a swarm of students who stormed the court after a Cyclone win in 2012.

And it’s where former Jayhawk forward/Iowa native Raef LaFrentz was treated so rudely that hometown hero/ISU point guard/current Cyclone coach Fred Hoiberg publicly lashed out at the spectators after an ISU win in 1995.

Win or lose — regulation or OT — there’s rarely a dull moment when KU travels to Hilton, site of today’s 8 p.m. Big 12 battle between the No. 9-ranked Jayhawks (14-2, 3-0) and No. 11 Cyclones (12-3, 2-1).

“It’s a very hostile crowd — very energetic, passionate fans. It’s a fun place to play,” KU junior Landen Lucas said of Hilton, where KU has won two consecutive games and nine of 11 in the Self era.

“A little bit,” Lucas added, asked if the insults from the student section become personal, “but it’s just because they’re passionate, that’s all. I like that.”

Last year, Naadir Tharpe scored a career-high 23 points, Andrew Wiggins grabbed 19 rebounds (most by a Jayhawk since Nick Collison’s 19 against Duke in 2003), and Joel Embiid scored 16 points with nine rebounds, five blocks, seven turnovers and one technical foul in KU’s 77-70 victory in Ames.

“It was really hostile. I liked it a lot, though,” KU sophomore guard Wayne Selden said of his first trip to Hilton, where ISU has won 15 consecutive games heading into tonight’s league showdown. “It was really intense.”

The Jayhawks survived by seven on a night they committed 24 turnovers yet benefited by the Cyclones’ 4-of-25 three-point shooting.

Nobody expects ISU to misfire so badly tonight — not with ESPN’s GameDay crew in town and not after Wednesday’s 74-73 loss to Baylor in Waco dropped ISU a game behind KU in the conference race.

“The games up there have always been very competitive,” Self said.

KU is 29-19 all-time in Hilton, Danny Manning going 0-4 and Larry Brown 0-5 in the house made famous by the late legendary coach Johnny Orr.

“It’s as good an atmosphere as we will play in this year, and their fans are obviously very enthusiastic and very loyal supporters, and they will be geeked up for GameDay. We’re playing in some other good atmospheres, but I can’t imagine playing in one that will match this year’s atmosphere,” Self added.

KU’s last loss in Hilton was a 72-64 decision in 2012 — a game in which Royce White scored 18 points. Self’s only other setback in Hilton was 68-61 in 2004, his first season at KU. ISU’s Curtis Stinson and Jake Sullivan combined for 27 points in the second half as the Cyclones scored 47 points the final 20 minutes after totaling just 21 the first half.

This year’s Cyclone team is led by 6-foot-8 junior Georges Niang, who averages 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game. He is a former teammate of KU’s Selden at Tilton School in New Hampshire. Selden and Niang also were spring and summer teammates for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club.

“He can stretch the defense and has great touch inside,” Selden said. “He can put it on the floor every now and again. Inside and out he has a real feel for the game.”

The 6-5 Selden, who might take a turn shadowing Niang tonight, was asked if he has the secret to guard him.

“I do, but I don’t want to say it out loud,” Selden said with a smile.

Dustin Hogue, a 6-6 senior, averages 11.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. The starting guards, who all can hit threes, are: Naz Long, a 6-4 junior who averages 12.5 ppg and went 5-for-5 from three at Baylor; Bryce Dejean-Jones, a 6-6 senior transfer from UNLV who averages 12.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg; and Monté Morris, a 6-2 sophomore who averages 10.1 ppg.

“They are going to play eight guys, and all eight guys are natural scorers, the way I see it,” said Self, who is 20-4 overall versus ISU as KU coach. Hoiberg is 2-7 versus KU.

“Georges is terrific, and he’s one of my favorite players in the league, without question. But if you focus too much on Georges … their whole team can go.

“They have got a point guard, Morris, who obviously doesn’t turn it over. I think it’s one of those deals that is going to be, ‘Guard your man.’ Certainly, I don’t know if that’s a positive for us, because they are very creative in the different wrinkles they give you. You’ve got to be able to guard your man, and you’ve got to be able to not force it. And you’ve got to do that with Georges, but you’ve also got to do that with everybody else.”

Remember, a year ago Niang left ISU’s 94-83 Big 12 tournament semifinal win over KU with 1:23 remaining after suffering a cut over his right eye that needed five stitches to close after taking a charge. Niang had 25 points in the win.

GameDay: KU is 5-4 all-time on ESPN GameDay (4-1 at home; 1-3 away). This marks the sixth straight season KU has played on

ESPN’s Saturday showcase event.

“I like them. Last year, we did the one in Stillwater and didn’t play very well in that one at all (72-65 loss to Oklahoma State),” Self said. “We had been at Missouri (74-71 loss, 2012). We’ve been in Bramlage (win over K-State in 2010). We were at Texas one time on GameDay (loss in 2006).

“I was a little disappointed we didn’t get a GameDay at home because that was a second straight year. What it is is a 24-hour informercial for your school, which is great. It will be good for our guys to play in that type of environment. So we’ll be very excited to go.”

Doors at Hilton open at 8 a.m. today for the GameDay college basketball pregame show, which starts at 9 a.m., on ESPNU. It moves to ESPN at 10 a.m. Admission is free.

“It’s huge for the program,” Hoiberg told the Des Moines Register. “It’s great for Iowa State University to be able to showcase what we have here at Hilton Coliseum.”

Earlier, Hoiberg said in a statement: “Everyone that is a fan of college basketball is tuned into ESPN all day. They are watching the show to see how great of an atmosphere you have, and that’s just in the morning leading up to the game. I know our fans will probably fill Hilton Coliseum in the morning, and hopefully we’ll go out and have a great game Saturday night.”

Venues: ESPN’s Jeff Goodman on Thursday rated Allen Fieldhouse the “most hostile venue” in college basketball. Hilton Coliseum was No. 8. Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium was second, Gonzaga’s McCarthey Athletic Center third, Indiana’s Assembly Hall fourth and Kentucky’s Rupp Arena fifth.

“Their (KU) fans are so loud and there’s just so many of them. It’s like you are trapped, everywhere you look,” ISU’s Georges Niang told ESPN.com.

“Hilton Magic is real. No lie,” former OSU guard Marcus Smart told ESPN.