Famous celebrities, pro athletes turn their eyes to Des Moines for the NCAA Tournament

When Arkansas men's basketball coach Eric Musselman went into the locker room after Thursday's NCAA Tournament win over Illinois, there were moments of excitement and celebration with his players.

But when that dies down and he finally goes to check his phone, among the endless text messages he scrolls through, there's always one familiar name among them.

"John Daly will be happy. He gives me texts after every game about our free throw shooting," Musselman said after Thursday's win in which the Razorbacks shot 88.2% from the line. "So I'm sure he will give me a positive text tonight on our foul shooting."

The PGA Tour legend and former Arkansas golfer isn't the only major figure with their eyes on Des Moines this week.

Vice President Kamala Harris shows her support for Howard

Vice President Kamala Harris was the biggest name in town throughout the weekend. She came through Wells Fargo Arena after a nearby event Thursday to watch her alma mater, Howard University, take on top-seeded Kansas, a daunting task to say the least.

Howard couldn't pull off an upset in its third NCAA Tournament appearance, and the first since 1992, but the team did give Kansas a scare in the first half. After the Bison fell short, Harris made her way into Howard's locker room to talk to the team.

"You played hard, you played to the very last second, you made all us Bison so, so proud," Harris told them. "You hustled out there, you are smart, you are disciplined, you put everything you had into the game and you know that's what it's about ... You showed the world who Bison are."

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Harris was perhaps the most recognizable face in attendance this week, but there were several more stars taking in the action at Wells Fargo Arena. Former Iowa Hawkeyes tight end and NFL All-Pro Dallas Clark was on hand for the second session of games Thursday. Ving Rhames, of "Pulp Fiction" and "Mission: Impossible" fame, was in the building to watch his son, Freedom, who plays for Howard.

Ted Lasso's Jason Sudeikis and Travis Kelce root for Kansas

The Jayhawks probably have the largest contingent of famous fans of any team playing in the metro this week. Jason Sudeikis, also known as Ted Lasso, is a noted KU supporter and sported some Kansas gear during an appearance on "The Today Show" on Wednesday. But when asked in the locker room who is most likely to send a text or direct message after a game, the answer was pretty consistent.

"Travis Kelce for sure," KU sophomore guard Bobby Pettiford Jr. said, referring to the Kansas City Chiefs superstar.

Freshman guard Gradey Dick echoed Pettiford's answer about Kelce. Dick has burst onto the national scene this season, going from a high school kid to one of the top prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft. It's been a bit surreal for him, becoming friends with a guy he saw win the Super Bowl as a sophomore in high school.

More:Before Kansas basketball star Gradey Dick came to Des Moines, his mother was an Iowa 6-on-6 legend

"It's happened quick. I like to say it comes with basketball, but it's not even like that all the time," Dick said. "When you get to a school like Kansas there are surprises everywhere."

Sam Young, Jaxson Hayes and Longhorns legend Kevin Durant

Not everybody is as taken aback by famous people reaching out, though. Texas grad transfer guard Sir'Jabari Rice had one of the biggest nights of his season on Thursday. He put up a game-high 23 points in the Longhorns' win over Colgate, draining 7-of-10 shots from beyond the arc.

A game like that on the biggest stage certainly caught the attention of some of UT's many notable alumni. He said he noticed an increase in texts and DMs after the game and has routinely gotten messages from NBA players such as Sam Young, Jaxson Hayes and Longhorns legend Kevin Durant during the year. But right now he's not giving it any thought.

"Yeah, I noticed some DMs and texts from some people, but honestly, I haven't opened any of them yet," Rice said. "I try to stay away from distractions on Twitter and Instagram and things like that ... I'm thankful for it, but I don't pay attention to it until the season's over."

Will NCAA Tournament teams keep getting attention?

Musselman and his Razorbacks squad have at least one game left in the season, Saturday at 4:15 p.m. against Kansas. No matter the outcome, he knows he'll have at least one text from Daly, or four like he did earlier this week, waiting for him when he returns to the locker room at the final horn.

He's just hoping that those texts are as happy as Thursday's were.

"(He was) very happy with our free throw shooting," Musselman said. "That's not a joke. I really do get several texts, and sometimes we do converse, believe it or not, late at night on our lack of free throw shooting."

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines' NCAA Tournament draws famous eyes from John Daly and more