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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Another weekend of March Madness is in the books, with teams, fans, and former players experiencing the highs of massive wins and lows of early tournament exits.
That includes Tyrese Haliburton, who previously attended Iowa State before taking his talents to the professional league, where he's become an All-Star player for the Indiana Pacers. Haliburton, currently sidelined as he recovers from his difficult torn right Achilles tendon injury suffered in the NBA Finals, is rooting for his alma mater, Iowa State, from afar.
On Sunday, the Cyclones trailed early, but came back and then pulled away in the second half with a dominant victory over Kentucky. Haliburton didn't hesitate to toss a playful jab at the Wildcats fans involving their former head coach, John Calipari, who is now coaching at Arkansas.
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"Went to text the guys who played at Kentucky about this game and forgot they think they Arkansas alum now," Haliburton fired off on his X (formerly Twitter) to call out the Wildcats loss.
Arkansas moved on in the Big Dance after defeating Cinderella story High Point 94-88 in the second round. Next up, Calipari's team plays No. 1 seed Arizona in what should be a highly entertaining game.
Calipari previously coached Kentucky for 15 seasons, leaving in 2024 to become the new head coach at Arkansas. His resume includes winning the National Championship as Wildcats coach in 2012, defeating Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks, 67-59.
In his two seasons at Iowa State, Haliburton became known for his impressive shooting abilities. His 2019-20 season raised his draft profile, as he averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game, leading the team to a first-round NCAA Tournament appearance.
Now in his fourth season with the Pacers, he joined the league in 2020 as the No. 12 overall pick for the Sacramento Kings. He’s since emerged as one of the league’s dynamic scorers and playmakers, leading his squad to the NBA Finals this past season.
Unfortunately, Haliburton’s brutal injury sidelined the two-time All-Star during a significant part of the Finals, and all he could do was watch from afar as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Indiana for the championship.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones look fierce so far through their NCAA Tournament games. They'll next face the No. 6 seed Tennessee, which achieved an upset win over No. 3 Virginia on Sunday.
Read more: Mick Cronin Assigns Blame for UCLA Loss to UConn in March Madness
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