Ken Davis

If you want to be mayor, you’d better have the ability to reach a crowd with your speeches and your stories. If you want to be a college basketball coach, you’d better have a vision for your program.

Back in April, when Iowa State hired Fred Hoiberg to coach his alma mater, he reminded Cyclones fans he always will be “The Mayor.” Then he convinced them he had a vision for reviving the program. One of the stories Hoiberg shared at his introductory press conference was from his NBA playing days with the Indiana Pacers. His coach at the time was Larry Brown.

“(Brown) said that Hilton Coliseum was the hardest arena he ever had to coach in, and Larry Brown’s been coaching since the last turn of the century,” Hoiberg said. “I want that atmosphere back. I need that atmosphere back.”

Hilton Magic.

That’s what Iowa State called it when Hoiberg wore the home uniform. His coach, the always-entertaining Johnny Orr, would work the crowd into a total frenzy. Then Hoiberg would pull a few rabbits out of his hat with his sweet shooting touch. They were the master magicians in the 1990s and Wednesday night in Ames, Hoiberg and Orr will be reunited as the Cyclones welcome No. 3 Kansas (15-0) for the first Big 12 home game of the season.

Iowa State (13-3, 0-1 Big 12) is quietly scripting one of the great stories in college hoops during Hoiberg’s rookie season as coach. Orr, who used to burst into Hilton to the theme song from “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” is being honored with the grand opening of “Johnny’s in Hilton Coliseum,” a sports bar that will be enjoyed by donors. A statue of Orr will also be dedicated.

And if things go as planned, the Cyclones will find a way to torture — if not defeat — the Jayhawks. When Hoiberg was playing, the magic always seemed most potent when Kansas came to town. That’s why Brown hated Hilton. Roy Williams almost lost his sanity there.

And because Hoiberg considers Duke and Kansas the top two teams in the nation this season, he figures it’s about time Bill Self joins the magic club. Hoiberg doesn’t personalize it that way. But he is psyched.

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“For teams like us, it was an opportunity to put our program on the map, get some recognition if you could go out and knock off a team of that caliber,” Hoiberg said of the days near the end of the Big Eight. “We had success against Kansas in Ames. I think we were 3-1 in my four years, and they’re always in the top 10 when they come in. … I remember those games well.”

Hoiberg especially remembers Jan. 14, 1995. In his senior season, on his way to being named to the all-Big Eight Conference first team and finishing his career with 1,993 points, Hoiberg led Iowa State to a 69-65 victory over Kansas. He scored 17 straight points and finished the game with 32.

“One of the best games that I’ve ever been a part of,” Hoiberg said. “It was just one of those games, for me personally, where it felt like everything I threw up was going in. It was a great win for us, and probably helped us get in the NCAA tournament that year.”

Hoiberg’s biography is starting to read like a movie script. The guy grew up in Ames. He was one of the first ball boys ever at Iowa State, but that didn’t work out all that great. In 1986, Jeff Hornacek landed on Hoiberg (the ball boy), sprained his ankle and missed the remainder of that game.

Needless to say, Hoiberg has made up for that, and more. He became so popular as a player, his teammates gave him the nickname “The Mayor.” He received a few write-in votes in the 1993 mayoral race. Today the real mayor of Ames, Ann Campbell, has a T-shirt that reads “The Other Mayor.” It was a gag gift from her brother.

After a 10-year career in the NBA, Hoiberg retired in 2006, almost a year after doctors discovered an aneurysm near his heart. He took a front office job with the Minnesota Timberwolves. And four years after expressing an interest in the Iowa State job and getting absolutely nowhere, Hoiberg was telephoned by athletic director Jamie Pollard in April when Greg McDermott took off for Creighton.

Iowa State fans were thrilled to hear Hoiberg would have a second term with the Cyclones. Despite a depleted roster and a squad voted to finish last in the Big 12, the Cyclones are off to their best start since 1994-95 when they were 17-2. That was Tim Floyd’s first season as coach and Hoiberg’s senior campaign.

Self expects the environment Wednesday to be as good as any the Jayhawks will face this season.

“Fred and his staff have done a remarkable job,” Self said. “They’re not only beating people, they’re beating people bad. They have some great wins under their belt. I’m sure there is an energy and bounce and enthusiasm with the program. Obviously, it was a very good hire.”

Because this is Hoiberg’s first coaching job, he hired Bobby Lutz, the former Charlotte coach, to be his top assistant. That was smart. Hoiberg also had to borrow a couple of football players recently after his rotation was reduced to six players.

“I don’t anticipate them playing a lot,” Hoiberg said. “If they do, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

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The Cyclones lost their Big 12 opener Saturday at Nebraska 63-62. But center Jordan Railey returns Wednesday after a two-game suspension and guard Scott Christopherson’s right elbow, injured Dec. 30 at Virginia, is healing.

The bottom line is that Hoiberg is ahead of schedule. This was supposed to be a transitional season, but with a decent finish in the Big 12, the Cyclones could actually dream of returning to the NCAA tournament.

With Orr back in Ames — and the Jayhawks visiting — Hoiberg hopes to stir up some more magic.

“It’s going to be a electric night,” he said. “Hopefully we can bring back some of that Hilton Magic that we’re trying to re-establish.”