The Monday Tipoff: McCaffery Will Distribute From Multiple Spots

Versatile guard will play different positions as Hawkeyes go with a smaller lineup.

Connor McCaffery’s assist-to-turnover numbers are among the nation’s best.

The Iowa guard has 34 assists against just seven turnovers, a 4.9 ratio that is best in the Big Ten and fourth best in NCAA Division I play. McCaffery has 28 assists and only four turnovers in the Hawkeyes’ last five games.

Now, with Iowa’s rotation undergoing an overhaul in the wake of the season-ending injury to forward Jack Nunge, McCaffery will be in different spots.

At 6-foot-5, the third-year sophomore can play multiple positions, and he’s going to have to do it. The Hawkeyes went with a smaller lineup for most of the time at last week’s Las Vegas Invitational, and that is going to continue.

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, Connor’s father, is going to move his son around, but Connor is still going to have the task of getting the ball to others.

“I think he’s always been a guy who has played multiple places on the floor,” McCaffery said on Monday. “And I think that’s important, especially now with Jack being out and getting Joe Toussaint, Bakari (Evelyn) and obviously (Jordan Bohannon) on the floor in the backcourt.

“He’s really good in the high post, he’s really good on the wing feeding the post, he’s good on the break. He can play the point, but now he’s in different locations in regards to his playmaking ability. He can be pretty much equally effective in other locations, and I think that makes it sometimes harder to defend when a guy isn’t in the same place.”

Connor is coming off a career-high 15 points in Friday’s 83-73 loss to San Diego State. He is 9-of-17 shooting in Iowa’s last three games.

Iowa’s probable starting lineup for Tuesday’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge game against Syracuse has four guards — McCaffery, Bohannon, CJ Fredrick and Joe Wieskamp.

Finding the right offensive balance is something Fran McCaffery wants from his son.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever deliberately given him a message,” he said. “It’s kind of like, if the shot’s there, take it, if the space is there, drive it. When you’re covered, move it. Be aware of who’s on the floor with you. He knows how to get the ball to Luka (Garza), J-Bo, Joe and CJ, Cordell (Pemsl) and anybody else. I think he has a keen feel, and a sense for that. It’s kind of, over the course of 40 minutes, just play the game the right way. Don’t look to be a facilitator, don’t look to be a scorer. Don’t look to be a driver, or a jump-shooter. You’ve got to be all of it, and at the same time you have to defense and compete.

“That’s the challenge that every player faces when they take the floor, especially when they play quality opponents with really good players. How do you succeed that day against that team? Because every team has a different style. You just have to play the game the right way.”

Patrick’s return

Patrick McCaffery, another one of Fran’s sons, is still out as he deals with health issues related to his treatment for thyroid cancer in 2014.

Fran McCaffery said there is no timetable for Patrick’s return.

“He’s feeling OK,” McCaffery said. “We’re still working through the stuff he’s been through, and trying to figure out how best to maximize his opportunity. He’s seen a lot of different people, and will continue to do so. It’s a lengthy process for him. It’s a different kind of journey.

“I think he’s handled it really well. He’s in a good place mentally. He’s been really positive. He was a great teammate out in Vegas, I know it was really hard for him not to play. But he’ll get there.”

Patrick McCaffery, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward, played in Iowa’s first two games, but hasn’t played since.

Bohannon’s health

Bohannon played 56 minutes in back-to-back games against Texas Tech and San Diego State in Las Vegas, a key test for him as he continues to return from offseason hip surgery.

“I think he feels pretty good,” McCaffery said. “We didn’t do much with him yesterday, but he’ll do a little more today.”

Bohannon had 20 points in the 72-61 win over Texas Tech, but had just three points in Friday’s loss. McCaffery said that wasn’t related to him playing on back-to-back nights.

“The way they played him, I think we have to do a better job of screening for him,” McCaffery said. “They were really doubling him, trying to get the ball out of his hands. I thought he played well in that sense. You don’t want to force the issue. We have to do a better job of getting him shots.”

Wait, did they move the three-point line back?🤔

1️⃣1️⃣ three-pointers from last night's win with some HUGE buckets down the stretch.

How 'bout the Hawkeye faithful in attendance, too? Let's run it back tonight! #Hawkeyes | #FeastWeek pic.twitter.com/C3hUM1cEiN

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) November 29, 2019

Road trips

The Hawkeyes got back from Las Vegas at 2 a.m. Saturday. They were leaving on Monday to go to Syracuse, and will return after the game. They leave late Thursday afternoon for Friday’s Big Ten opener at Michigan.

“Obviously, we said from the beginning this is a difficult stretch for us,” McCaffery said. “But that’s what the game is. You’re playing two (Big Ten) games early. You’re playing a (multi-team event) somewhere (over Thanksgiving week). You’re going to play in the ACC Challenge.

“It’s not something that we really talk about, to be honest with you. Next game on the schedule, how do we plan practice? How much film do we watch, how long do we stay on the floor (for practice)? When are we leaving? Just kind of take a very professional approach to it.”

The Hawkeyes play just two home games in December — next Monday against Minnesota and Dec. 29 against Kennesaw State. They play at Iowa State on Dec. 12 and in Chicago on Dec. 21 against Cincinnati. They get back into Big Ten play on Jan. 4 with a game against Penn State in Philadelphia.

During this current stretch, Iowa will play in three time zones and seven states and travel 8,362 miles.