What Iowa coach Ben McCollum said about Nebraska before Sweet 16 game

Iowa basketball coach Ben McCollum met with the media on Wednesday ahead of his team's Sweet 16 matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers . This is the Huskers' first Sweet 16 in program history, while Iowa is playing in its first Sweet 16 since 1999 . Nebraska defeated Vanderbilt 74-72 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa advanced after beating the defending national champion, the Florida Gators , 73-72. This is McCollum's first year with the Hawkeyes after spending last season at Drake. Prior to his single season with the Bulldogs, he spent 15 seasons at Northwest Missouri State, where he won four NCAA Division II tournaments, 12 regular-season conference championships, and eight conference tournament championships.

The head coach was asked about the importance of this rivalry and what it means to have it on this big stage. Growing up around it, obviously there's Iowa, Iowa State, and Nebraska are all kind of rivals. Usually you probably -- none of us like any of each other is kind of how it works.

So I don't know that it's going to excite it any more. It's one of those things that when you grow up around it, you understand it, you get it. I probably don't -- when you're in it, like, when you're playing, you probably don't really pay attention to it, to be perfectly honest.