But, in the big picture, basketball is merely a tiny speck on the radar screen. You’ll have a difficult time finding it with the strongest microscope in the world.

I’m talking about collegiate postseason basketball—in this case something called the National Invitation Tournament—and how it applies to the war in Iraq.

Jake Sullivan, the son of a police chief and a very savvy young man, indicated he has a grasp on the situation.

Sullivan plays basketball for Iowa State. He suited up Wednesday against Wichita State in the NIT on the same night other guys his age from this nation went to war and, obviously, risked their lives.

"During the National Anthem, we were thinking we’re out here with the greatest opportunity," Sullivan said. "We’re playing in front of (nearly 14,000) people. We should enjoy this.

"But there were other people hiding in little holes in the desert, hoping to not get blown up. That played a huge part mentally for me. It helped me relax a little bit. It kind of put things in perspective for me."

A guy asked Sullivan if he was happy to be able to perhaps give those in the military some sort of diversion. The guy said that maybe those in uniform—the Air Force, the Army, the Navy, the Marine uniforms—could maybe hear about Iowa State basketball, about Jake Sullivan on a radio, on the Internet wherever they were.

"Definitely," Sullivan said. "They’re defending our country, defending what we stand for. I couldn't walk out on this floor if it wasn’t for them. They’re the bravest, most courageous people in the world."

So now the Cyclones play Iowa at 7 p.m. Friday at Hilton Coliseum with an opportunity to beat the Hawkeyes for the second time this season.

The game will attract a sellout crowd of 14,092. That was assured today when all the tickets were sold within two hours. And, frankly, Iowa State had no excuse not to sell out this game.

Strangely, even though Sullivan says his school has "the best fans in the world," the Cyclones haven’t had a sellout since Iowa won at Hilton Coliseum, 78-53, on Dec. 8, 2001. They couldn’t get a full house this season against Kansas, against Oklahoma or against Missouri—three of the very best teams in the Big 12 Conference and the nation.

Wednesday night’s crowd of 13,955 was the largest of the season. The fans took advantage of $10 tickets and turned Hilton into a rocking, heart-pounding place that would have made Johnny Orr, Fred Hoiberg and Jeff Grayer—among the guys who had huge roles in creating Hilton Magic—proud.

The ticket price goes up for Friday night’s game. They cost $20 for everyone except Iowa State students, who can get in for $10.

The game will not be televised. Iowa State officials said ESPN, which owns the rights to all NIT broadcasts, could not secure any local airing availabilities.

"ESPN, not Iowa State or Iowa, owns the rights to every NIT game," ESPN Regional’s director of clearances Bob Helmers said today. "Obviously, the fact that we are at war with Iraq had a huge impact on any options we had to put the game on television. We contacted local stations that had the ability to produce the game, and they couldn’t commit to a telecast because of Iraq coverage."

The Iowa State-Iowa winner plays Georgia Tech next week at a site and on a night to be determined.

"It was unbelievable. The crowd was our sixth man. There’s no question that, no matter whether we’re going good or bad, the fans never turn against us."

The reason Sullivan was saying nice things about Iowa State’s fans was because someone asked him about Wednesday’s turnout of 13,955 at Hilton and the embarrassingly-low 2,761 that showed up on short notice for Iowa’s first NIT game against Valparaiso.

Iowa made the mistake of charging $20 for tickets to the Valparaiso game. People there had the idea that all they had to do at Carver-Hawkeye Arena was open up the doors and fans would flock into the place.

But the students are on spring break there, too. And there’s no guarantee a lot of them would have come to watch Valparaiso—a nice team, but certainly not a high-profile team. Indeed, maybe the fans wouldn’t have been all that excited about any team coming into Carver-Hawkeye Arena for an NIT game.

There’s a distinct feeling out there in Hawkeye Nation that Steve Alford and his basketball program are wearing a bit thin with fans. People are tired of spending money on overpriced tickets to watch a coach whose act is getting old.

Of the first half of the December game in Iowa City, which found Iowa ahead, 40-31, Sullivan said, "They outplayed us and out-determined us—it’s that simple. We need to come in with more determination and more focus (Friday).

"(Iowa is) playing some great basketball, even though they get a lot of heat sometimes. I think they’re an excellent team, and we’ll have our hands full."

Sullivan called Iowa guard Chauncey Leslie "an unbelievable player. I have ultimate respect for him. He’s as good as almost any guard in this (Big 12) league."

Sullivan scored 25 points Dec. 13 in a game that saw Iowa State rally to win, 73-69, at Iowa City. Leslie scored 13 and had six rebounds. Barnes, who is playing much better now than he did in December, collected eight points.

"It’s going to be a great game (Friday)," Barnes said. "You can’t take anything away from that Iowa team. At the beginning of the season, they were very tough. Then they kind of let up a little bit and didn’t do as well as everybody thought they were going to do in the Big Ten, but they’re still an excellent team in my eyes and I know they’re going to give us a fight right down to the end."

"A lot of fans want to see that game," Vroman said. "Hopefully, we can give them what they want—which is a win here. I don’t think I need to encourage our crowd to come out. I heard them chanting, ‘Beat the Hawks!’ late in the game against Wichita State."

Asked what he learned while facing Iowa the first time, Vroman said, "We’re really going to have to step up our intensity to beat those guys. Hopefully, we don’t have to rely on coming back on ‘em this time."

A second game against Iowa in one season is something Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy has been hoping for.

"It’s what I’ve wanted since I’ve been here," Eustachy said. "I’ve always thought we should play home-and-home. So now, when my dream comes true, it’ll probably come back and bite me in the fanny (meaning Iowa could win).

"But I think (a second game against the Hawkeyes) is great for the state of Iowa, and I wish we’d do it every year."

A lot of Cyclone fans would like to see two Iowa State-Iowa games each season for no other reason than to improve Eustachy’s non-conference schedule, which had the likes of Coe, Mercer, Jackson State, Savannah State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on it this season.

The Coes and Pine Bluffs of the world did nothing to prepare Iowa State for the Big 12 season.