GAME THREAD: No. 6 Iowa State vs. No. 23 Tennessee
Iowa State head men’s basketball coach T. J. Otzelberger hugs Nate Heise (0) during the Cyclones’ game against Tennessee State on March 20 at the Enterprise Center in St.
Louis. | Jared Larson CHICAGO — No. 6 (AP) Iowa State returns to the Sweet 16 for the third time in five seasons under head coach T.
J. Otzelberger, continuing one of the most consistent runs in program history. The Cyclones enter Friday night’s matchup at 29-7 overall after dominant NCAA Tournament wins over Tennessee State (108-74) and Kentucky (82-63), advancing despite the absence of their top player for nearly the entire tournament run.
Tennessee, ranked No. 23 (AP) , arrives battle-tested out of the SEC under veteran coach Rick Barnes. The Volunteers present a physical, disciplined challenge, setting up a contrast in styles against an Iowa State team that thrives on pace, spacing and disruptive defense.
The biggest storyline centers on All-American forward Joshua Jefferson. Listed as questionable on the final player availability report, Jefferson has not played since logging just two and a half minutes in the first-round win over Tennessee State. His status looms large, as his averages include 16.