Tim Cluess has a plan in place for Andrew Wiggins, the high-profile Kansas freshman Iona will face Tuesday night in Lawrence, Kan.
“We’re going to try, like, 13 guys on him,” the third-year coach said jokingly in a phone interview Monday afternoon. “One at a time.”
The game was set up through a common thread. Iona President Joseph E. Nyre is a Kansas alum who did his doctoral work at the school. Cluess said he is thrilled to have the chance to make the trip to Allen Fieldhouse.
“I’ve been to Kansas,” Cluess said. “I was there the year when they won the NCAA title. I watched a game up close. The adrenaline in that building will be through the roof. If you’re a basketball player or you’re a basketball coach, you have to love that. …. You have to try to take advantage of the moment.”
The Kansas matchup is one of many challenging games on the Gaels’ non-league schedule. They also face new Atlantic-10 member George Mason, Florida Gulf Coast — last year’s NCAA Tournament’s Cinderella story — and Dayton.
Those teams, of course, don’t compare to Kansas, the No. 2-ranked team in the nation with a handful of NBA prospects on its roster, from Wiggins to freshmen Wayne Selden and Joel Emblid and sophomore forward Perry Ellis.
“We’re playing against a great team, one of the best programs in the country,” Cluess said. “We’ll get to see how the other half lives. It’s a measuring stick for our guys.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to have. We have absolutely nothing to lose. They’re Kansas, we’re Iona. … I don’t think we’re going to play anyone better than these guys all year long.”
That doesn’t mean Iona is making the trip to America’s heartland to become a sacrificial lamb. The 1-1 Gaels have reached the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons and have a deep, talented roster, led by sharpshooting senior guard Sean Armand and junior forward David Laury.
“Basketball is a funny sport,” Cluess said. “The ball can bounce in a lot of different directions. That’s why you play the games. We’re really excited about this opportunity.”