NEW YORK — Fred Hoiberg and Kevin Ollie stood together in Tucson, Ariz. two decades ago as young teenagers and strangers.

Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson had a scholarship available to hand out and he looked at both of them.

“The first one who accepts gets it,” Olson told them.

In the end, neither accepted, as Hoiberg instead chose to play for his hometown Cyclones and Ollie decided to play at Connecticut.

Ten years later in Chicago, the two found themselves together again. They were 29 years old and playing for the Chicago Bulls.

“He was just one of the greatest teammates I have ever been around,” Ollie said of Hoiberg in New York on March 27 before the Sweet 16. “Personable, would do anything for his teammates.”

When Hoiberg was forced to retire from the NBA early after 10 seasons because of an enlarged aortic root in his heart, he became an assistant general manager with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In 2008, the Timberwolves were in need of a veteran, and Hoiberg knew the perfect guy.

The first guy Minnesota called was Ollie.

“He allowed me to be a 37-year-old point guard, to get another year in the NBA, which is always good,” Ollie said. “He did a lot in my life.”

“He owes me,” Hoiberg said jokingly, “because I resurrected his damn career.”

The two were back in the same setting March 27 as their teams — Iowa State and Connecticut — prepared to square off March 28 in the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden.

Hoiberg has found success in his first four seasons coaching collegiately at Iowa State, advancing to three-straight NCAA tournaments. Ollie has found similar success in his second season at his alma mater, reaching the Sweet 16 after the Huskies failed to make the tournament last season.

“Just with our NBA experience, I think we coach the same,” Ollie said. “We try to manipulate the defense. We try to go to different matchups. I look at him, and he took the job at Iowa State and just filled in those shoes and just took it to another level. I’m a big fan of Fred’s.”

They’re big fans of each other, ever since that day in Arizona.

“Listen, Kevin and I weren’t very good players,” Hoiberg said. “But to stick around, me for 10, him for 13 years [in the NBA], you have to have some of those qualities to stick: a work ethic, good teammate and that’s what Kevin was.”