The Bulls have had a strange, and at times frustrating, infatuation with Iowa State and players from Iowa.



General manager Gar Forman, assistant general manager Brian Hagen, coach Fred Hoiberg, and former assistant coach Charlie Henry were all a part of Iowa State’s basketball staff at one point. Don’t forget about Tim Floyd, the first coach to come from Iowa State to replace a popular winning coach at odds with management.



The Bulls have also historically stocked their roster with players from Iowa State or those born in Iowa.



With the Bulls in need of a small forward, it’s natural to think the Bulls will take a good look at Harrison Barnes, a former teammate of Doug McDermott at Ames (Iowa) High School — which is also Hoiberg’s alma mater — and one of the premier free agents at that position.



Barnes makes a lot of sense on the surface, but the Bulls should not...