Iowa State Basketball: 3 keys to beat Miami Hurricanes in Sweet 16

Iowa State Basketball: 3 keys to beat Miami Hurricanes in Sweet 16 matchup

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 20: Tyrese Hunter #11 and Tre Jackson #3 of the Iowa State Cyclones celebrate after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers 53-48 in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Fiserv Forum on March 20, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

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Iowa State Basketball Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

The Midwest Region of the 2022 NCAA Tournament features a pair of underdogs that have made it to the Sweet 16. Iowa State Basketball takes on the Miami Hurricanes for a coveted spot in the Elite Eight. The Cyclones, led by first-year coach TJ Otzelberger, have a chance to make their first Elite Eight appearance since 2000. The Miami Hurricanes, meanwhile, have never made it past the Sweet 16 in program history.

Cyclone versus Hurricane, finally a true test of which type of natural disaster reigns supreme. Land or sea, wind or water, it is truly a matchup of the ages.

Iowa State has made it this far through two five-point victories over higher-ranked teams. These teams being LSU and Wisconsin, respectively. Miami survived a thriller with USC before blitzing second-seeded Auburn, winning by 18.

This one will be all about the guard and wing play. Freshman Tyrese Hunter of the Cyclones will be matched up against Charlie Moore, who’s in his sixth year of college basketball. Moore has been to four different schools in that time, and the savvy veteran has had an excellent start to the NCAA Tournament. Without his late-game performance in the first round, the Hurricanes may not have snuck by Drew Peterson and USC.

The game is set to tip at 9:59 pm ET on Friday night. Miami is currently a -2.5 point favorite and the O/U is clipped at 133. Let’s take a look at three keys for the Cyclones to pull off another upset victory.

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