Iowa State a common opponent of two NCAA Tournament Final Four teams

Remember way back in November when we got an instant-classic between the Iowa State men and Auburn? Well, the Tigers are one of the last four standings in the NCAA Tournament.

Joining them will be Houston, who the Cyclones also played as members of the Big 12 Conference, along with Duke and Florida. It is just the second time that the Final Four field has consisted of all No. 1 seeds.

Obviously, Auburn and Florida played each other as they are both from the SEC. The Tigers also took on Houston back in early November, posting a five-point victory, and played Duke in December, losing by six.

Iowa State saw Auburn just as they were preparing to kick-start an incredible run that included winning the Maui Invitational and holding the No. 1 spot in the rankings for several weeks. While the Tigers had a bit of a slide late in the year, they have looked the part of a championship squad since March Madness tipped off.

In February when the Cyclones went up against Houston, they were missing some key pieces but battled to a nine-point setback on the road. While the loss hurt, it seemed like it could be a rallying point to a deep postseason run.

That never came to fruition, as things fell apart for Iowa State, ending with a second round elimination.

Houston, meanwhile, has controlled its opponents with steady defense and well-timed offense in reaching San Antonio.

What does all this mean? Who really knows, but if one were to guess, we are in for a treat this weekend with these four teams and two games.