Theresa McDermott has been there.

The ISU athletic department is participating in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Think Pink campaign to raise breast cancer awareness this weekend.

For McDermott, the wife of men’s basketball coach Greg McDermott, the issue of raising awareness takes on special meaning.

“It’s absolutely 100 percent important. It’s one of those tests that’s easy to push off, but it’s as simple as a mammogram,” McDermott said. “The more we get the word out there, the more likely people are going to be to take it seriously and go in, so it’s very important.”

McDermott is a breast cancer survivor, having beaten the disease in 2005. She said early detection was essential to her survival.

The Cyclone Alley student section also realizes the importance of the Think Pink campaign. Students in the section will receive pink T-shirts at Saturday’s men’s game against Texas.

Cyclone Alley co-chairman of external relations Alex Hofstad said the section was looking to get involved in a good cause and saw this as the perfect opportunity, especially since the game will be regionally televised for an ABC audience.

“I think it’s going to look great and be a lot of good publicity for this student section,” Hofstad said. “It looks really good when [ABC] is talking about how great of a student section this is, as well as being able to take this game to raise breast cancer awareness.”

When looking for a cause, Hofstad said, the McDermott family came to mind, as fighting breast cancer was something the McDermotts had gone through.

The team is also getting into the act – the coaching staff will wear pink shirts and ties, and players will wear pink shoelaces. Texas will do the same, making for a burnt orange and pink mix.

Greg McDermott said there is no such thing as too much awareness.

“The pink ribbons that you see everywhere – I don’t think you can overdo that sort of thing,” he said. “I think the attention needs to continue to be brought to just how many people are affected by this disease and what positive outcomes you can have if it’s detected earlier.”