While every one of the 8 Sweet 16 match-ups in the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament holds a significant level of interest, the upcoming Friday night showdown between the Iowa State Cyclones and Connecticut Huskies is special for multiple reasons. While UConn and Iowa State have gone on unexpected runs thus far – with the Huskies upending No. 2 seeded Villanova to reach the Sweet 16 and ISU taking down North Carolina without the services of star forward Georges Niang – the approaching contest pitting two talented coaches makes this game significantly more interesting.
Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg and Connecticut leader Kevin Ollie have been friends for years and both are now prepared to lead their alma maters against one another with a trip to the Elite 8 on the line. Teammates with the Chicago Bulls during the 2001-2002 season, the young coaches built a strong relationship and even though it will certainly be fun for each to go up against a comrade, the ultimate goal in collegiate basketball is to collect wins, especially when you make it as far as these two Universities have.
“It's always tough coaching against one of your great friends,” Ollie, who took over for legendary Jim Calhoun at UConn in 2012, said recently. “But at the end of the day we are both competitors, we both love our university, and once we get in those lines, you pretty much don't have any friends. And you want your university to come out on top. But I wish him great success and I know he's going to have his team prepared, and hopefully I'll have my team prepared and it will be a great matchup.”
As Ollie now prepares for match-up against Hoiberg, the young Iowa State coach will begin devising a plan to get his players ready for what will certainly be a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd, a crowd that will most certainly be filled with Huskies supporters. UConn has traveled well for big events historically and due to the fact that their campus in Storrs, Connecticut is just over 135 miles from the famed MSG, Fred Hoiberg and company know a tough task awaits. Despite preparing as the ‘underdog,’ the ISU boss wants his players to go out and have fun.
“The biggest thing I talk to them about is how much they're going to enjoy it,” he said. “I guess the great thing for us is we get to go in there and experience it in a very casual setting during Thursday's practice. You get all that 'wow factor' stuff out of your system early. The guys can go in there, experience it when we practice, look at the banners, and be a little wide- eyed the first night. But once that ball goes up about 7:30 on Friday night, we'll be ready to play.”
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 7 UConn: DATE, TIME & VIEWING INFO
DATE: Friday, March 28
TIME: 7:27pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: TBS
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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