Connor McCaffery Shines for Iowa

SR Guard Dishes Out 13 Assists without Turnover in Win Against Ohio St.

Iowa's Connor McCaffery (30) controls the ball as Ohio State's Justice Sueing (14) and Eugene Brown III (3) defend on Feb. 16, 2023 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. (Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)

Connor McCaffery was asked what was his favorite number among the two that were side-by-side in the box score, the 13 assists or the zero turnovers.

The answer was quick.

“Both,” the Iowa guard said.

McCaffery’s numbers in Thursday’s 92-75 win over Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena were nothing new for a player that has been a model of efficiency throughout his career with the Hawkeyes.

But even if McCaffery didn’t want to choose between the numbers, the 13 assists — a career high — did catch his eye.

“I didn’t know what it was,” McCaffery said. “I knew it was a lot, and no (turnovers). Did I know I had 13? No.”

Then he smiled.

“I mean, the announcer says, ‘Assist, Connor,’ every time,” McCaffery said. “I mean, I knew I was giving it to guys and they were making shots.”

Shooters aren’t the only ones who can get hot, McCaffery said.

“There’s definitely times when you’re in kind of a zone as a passer,” he said.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” guard Tony Perkins said. “Thirteen assists and no turnovers. Those are great stats, right there. He was finding people, being unselfish.

“That’s how he is.”

It was one of those typical McCaffery nights. He was a facilitator, a traffic cop for the Iowa offense. Always, his father said, in the middle of things.

“A really impressive game for him, on all levels,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said.

It was Connor’s 3-pointer with 2:21 left in the first half that started the Hawkeyes’ 12-0 run going into halftime with a 47-36 lead. It was his work on the defensive end that contributed to the better intensity that Iowa had compared to the last time the Hawkeyes played Ohio State, a 93-77 loss on January 21.

His biggest contribution, though, was getting the ball to everyone else, which has been the mark of his career — he came into the season with a career plus-3.9 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has 89 assists against 22 turnovers this season.

The Hawkeyes had 23 assists on 37 field goals, and Connor was in the center of that.

Five Iowa players scored in double figures, led by Perkins’ 24. Kris Murray had 20. Ahron Ulis had 12. Filip Rebraca and Payton Sandfort had 10.

“I was pretty locked in,” Connor said. “I found Tony, I found Patrick (McCaffery), I found Kris, Payton. I feel like it was a pretty high dose of everyone.”

His two favorite assists came in the second half.

There was the one to his brother Patrick, when Sandfort grabbed an offensive rebound and threw a pass back outside to Connor, who with one hand whipped the ball to Patrick in the corner for a 3-pointer.

And then there was the baseball pass off his rebound that he threw to Murray for a transition layup.

“You can’t throw it too soon,” Fran McCaffery said. “You can’t throw it too late. You’ve got to throw it at the right time.

“And that’s what he does.”

“It’s no surprise to me that he had 13 assists,” Perkins said.

Iowa (17-9 overall, 9-6 Big Ten) finds itself in a tie with Maryland and Indiana for third place in the Big Ten, with the current tiebreaker over both, heading into the final five games of the regular season.

The Hawkeyes have won nine of their last 12 after an 0-3 start to conference play.