Ben and Sam Hutchens have now shared an NCAA Tournament press box, marking a new milestone in their careers. The second-round matchup between Iowa State and Oregon in Milwaukee allowed the twin brother beat writers to cover the same game — although for opposing schools. “We are sharing this stage with so many incredible members of the media. You’re looking at Ben and Sam Hutchens, identical twins who have lived almost identical lives,” sideline reporter Lauren Shehadi remarked as TruTV’s broadcast highlighted the brothers during the game’s second half. “Ben is a beat reporter for Iowa State, while Sam covers Ole Miss.”
Shehadi added, “They grew up listening to the Texas Rangers in their room every night, saying, ‘I want to be around sports forever.’ Their dad would ask them, ‘Are you asleep?’ They would turn down the TV and then turn it right back up when he left the room.” Play-by-play man Kevin Harlan humorously noted, “Sounds familiar.”
Identical twins Sam and Ben Hutchins, beat reporters for Ole Miss and Iowa State, respectively. pic.twitter.com/WuI55Pa5v5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 24, 2025
As Shehadi alluded to, Ben covers the Cyclones for several outlets owned by Lee Enterprises, including the Quad-City Times, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, the Sioux City Journal, and the Globe Gazette, while Sam covers the Rebels for The Clarion-Ledger. Both brothers graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2023 and eventually secured jobs covering college programs located nearly 700 miles apart. In a column about their shared experience in covering an NCAA Tournament game, Ben reflected on the change of pace their career paths have brought after spending the first 22 years of their lives together. He jokingly mentioned that his colleagues were puzzled by his many questions directed at Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard during pregame availability, unaware it was actually Sam on the beat.
“As excited as I was to cover my first NCAA Tournament, part of me was sad I wouldn’t get to enjoy it alongside my brother,” Ben expressed. “That’s the thing about being an identical twin: You can’t fully relish a cool moment, funny quote, or wholesome interaction until you share it with your brother.” As it turned out, that wasn’t a concern for this game. Following the sixth-seeded Rebels’ 91-78 upset over the No. 3 Cyclones, Sam is heading to Atlanta to cover Ole Miss’ upcoming Sweet 16 matchup against Michigan State, while Ben will shift his focus to Iowa State football’s spring practice.
