Is it a tall order for Iowa and Iowa State fans to unite during Sweet 16?

It’s a cornucopia of basketball this week in the state that produces the most corn.

For the first time, the Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes advanced to the Sweet 16 of the men’s NCAA Tournament in the same year. Fans for both schools should unite — right?

Not happening.

All Iowans can agree, however, that having two of the last 16 teams standing is pretty cool and that fans of both will be tuned in when the Hawkeyes play border rival Nebraska in Houston on Thursday night and the Cyclones face Tennessee in Chicago on Friday night.

Sure, the Lone Star State can boast it has the Texas Longhorns and Houston Cougars in the Sweet 16, and the Great Lakes State can tout Michigan and Michigan State.

The Hawkeye State is different. Just 3.2 million people live across the 300 miles separating the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The state is best known for sorting out pretenders and contenders in presidential elections with its caucuses, serving as the setting for the classic baseball movie “Field of Dreams” and, of course, corn and pork production.

In Iowa, having two teams in the Sweet 16 just might be the best thing since sliced bread, which happened to be invented by a guy from Davenport.

Beyond their playing styles, the teams are extremely relatable to their fans.

The Cyclones’ star point guard, Tamin Lipsey, is a hometown kid from Ames and among three Iowans on the roster. Five other players are from bordering Wisconsin and Minnesota. 

There are only two Hawkeyes players from the state, but standout guard Bennett Stirtz is among six from Missouri and 3-point shooting specialist Cooper Koch is from Illinois. 

One other nugget: Nebraska, the Hawkeyes’ opponent, is coached by Fred Hoiberg. He’s the Ames kid known as “The Mayor” when he played for Iowa State in the 1990s and coach of the Cyclones’ Sweet 16 team in 2014. Hoiberg remains a beloved sports figure in the state.

“So there are Iowa State fans who don’t know what to do,” Burnside said, “or they absolutely know what to do, which is to root for Nebraska and Fred Hoiberg over Iowa.”

Conceivably, the Cyclones and Hawkeyes could meet in the national championship game. That would require each team to win three more games, and few believe that will happen. But what if?


(AP Photo John Raoux)