Bohnenkamp: Connor McCaffery Holds Hawkeyes Together

At least some people recognize it, I realize he's not a scoring threat, but he plays such a huge role for this team and is tough as nails. Some of his steals last night, he just ripped the ball away. He's setting guys up, pushing them into position, chewing ass when someone breaks down on something and the first one to chest pump a player when they make a big play. Again, loved that section of the game last night in the first half when Iowa went on their run. Logged a lot of minutes as the only starter on the floor with all our new pieces and he just got his new weapons into as good of position as he does our starting 5. He's a floor general and I wouldn't trade him for many players.
 
Yeah...this is kind of a stretch for me some nights. If he's the glue, it's more the Elmer's glue that we all ate or at least tasted when we were kids.

I honestly thought he was playing better late last year...and was feeding the post and was a truly calming influence under front court pressure. He was also rebounding well. This year, he's been inconsistent to me. Like last night...he was great with the second group...totally impressed with his effort and how he played when the second group of guys made the run.

The inconsistency was that he was late rotating in the zone several times in the second half and allowed 3 threes to go off uncontested (two by Wiggins) during a stretch in the second half. Fran let him have it too.

Don't get me wrong...Connor is a valuable teammate. Hes tough and will do the dirty work. I believe the other McCaffrey is making a move for more of his brother's minutes. Patrick looked really good last night...and at Rutgers.
 
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InGoodCo said:
At least some people recognize it, I realize he's not a scoring threat, but he plays such a huge role for this team and is tough as nails. Some of his steals last night, he just ripped the ball away. He's setting guys up, pushing them into position, chewing ass when someone breaks down on something and the first one to chest pump a player when they make a big play.
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Those are all reasons why I’d live to see him stick around as a GA when he’s done and work his way into coaching with the Hawks. He’s got his old man’s head for the game and also his fire.
 
People who want Connor to sit know nothing about basketball. Basketball IQ thru the charts, incredible passer and one of the best post feeding guards in the game. Toughness, experience.... Connor is the fucking man, and people who bitch only reasoning is Fran being his dad or that he doesn’t score, which is so dumb, considering the massive amounts of weapons around him.
 
WinOneThisCentury said:
Yeah...this is kind of a stretch for me some nights. If he's the glue, it's more the Elmer's glue that we all ate or at least tasted when we were kids.

I honestly thought he was playing better late last year...and was feeding the post and was a truly calming influence under front court pressure. He was also rebounding well. This year, he's been inconsistent to me. Like last night...he was great with the second group...totally impressed with his effort and how he played when the second group of guys made the run.

The inconsistency was that he was late rotating in the zone several times in the second half and allowed 3 threes to go off uncontested (two by Wiggins) during a stretch in the second half. Fran let him have it too.

Don't get me wrong...Connor is a valuable teammate. Hes tough and will do the dirty work. I believe the other McCaffrey is making a move for more of his brother's minutes. Patrick looked really good last night...and at Rutgers.
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I didn't taste test the glue.

I sniffed it.

LOL!
 
Connor is a key cog and pretty much everything about his game has already been said in this thread. Love kids like him that can play such an integral part with the willingness to feed the more skilled scorers when they are open instead of hunt for their own shots.

Obviously the main knock on him is his shooting and lack there of. The casual basketball fan will say Connor needs to shoot less but IMO he needs to shoot it more when he's wide open. He's more than capable evidenced by his high school numbers. He shot 37.5% from 3 on 389 attempts in his HS career and shot 41% as a senior on 139 attempts. It's just a mind game and unwillingness to let it fly for him at this point at the college level.

Hell most of the shots he takes are forced at the end of the shot clock which are normally low percentage attempts for any player. If he were to shoot it with confidence earlier in possessions when the opportunity presents itself, he'd probably be closer to his HS percentage. Doing that would make this elite offense even more elite and damn near impossible to slow down as it would open up the court even more as his man wouldn't be able to constantly double away from him.
 
InGoodCo said:
People who want Connor to sit know nothing about basketball. Basketball IQ thru the charts, incredible passer and one of the best post feeding guards in the game. Toughness, experience.... Connor is the fucking man, and people who bitch only reasoning is Fran being his dad or that he doesn’t score, which is so dumb, considering the massive amounts of weapons around him.
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Fran's teams, from the day he arrived, have been vulnerable to the "field goal drougnt". That five, six, seven minute period in the middle of a half where the ball doesn't move, doesn't get into the post, doesn't get to key people, etc.

That hasn't been much of an issue the past year and a half. Garza is obviously the biggest reason for this but Connor isn't far behind. And when people are willing to look, people are willing to cut. CJ's flash to the rim vs Maryland, and Connor's feed, was a perfect example. And we have other good passers too.
 
Another note, mostly on Fran. I think it took him about four, five years to adjust to how damn physical this league is. If your guards aren't strong, they won't be able to get where they need to go (see Wisconsin). If your post players aren't strong in the rear end and lower body, they will be manhandled in the post (see Wisconsin and Michigan State)

Our putrid 2018 team couldn't play defense. But I think a big issue was that they weren't physically strong enough to play offense or defense. Remember how Penn State handled us that year?
 
Northside Hawk said:
Fran's teams, from the day he arrived, have been vulnerable to the "field goal drougnt". That five, six, seven minute period in the middle of a half where the ball doesn't move, doesn't get into the post, doesn't get to key people, etc.

That hasn't been much of an issue the past year and a half. Garza is obviously the biggest reason for this but Connor isn't far behind. And when people are willing to look, people are willing to cut. CJ's flash to the rim vs Maryland, and Connor's feed, was a perfect example. And we have other good passers too.
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Yeah, agree with this. This team has more weapons than the last two years...and that has made those major field goal droughts go away. When you have Frederick, Bohannon, Weiskamp, Murray, P. McCaffery, Nunge, and Toussaint...all with the ability to score in multiple ways, you aren't going long stretches without the ball going through for someone.

Frederick struggled against Maryland, but think about what he has brought this year. He's been incredible off the dribble with the floaters and touch shots around the paint. I didn't see that coming. Oh, and he shoots 53% from three.

Weiskamp is struggling a little bit from range right now, but he's taking the ball to the hole with authority...and finishing. He got screwed at Rutgers on two takes, one a goal tend and another he got hammered, but two no calls.

Murray...can score in multiple ways. He's a revelation. He can shoot the three, he can take it to the hole, he gets offensive rebounds, and he dunks anything close to the basket.

P. McCaffery...starting to shoot the three, made some nice moves in the paint to score. He gets offensive rebounds, and he can handle the ball.

Nunge...the three will come around. He battles on the offensive glass...he will keep improving.

Garza...don't need to say anything.

All these guys can score in multiple ways. This is a true luxury...and the reason...our scoring droughts of 5 minutes are going to be a real rarity.

I'm anxious to see how our offense looks against Michigan. Michigan gets after you on the defensive end as does Illinois. Those will be true tests on how good a tournament team we are.
 
WinOneThisCentury said:
Weiskamp is struggling a little bit from range right now, but he's taking the ball to the hole with authority...and finishing. He got screwed at Rutgers on two takes, one a goal tend and another he got hammered, but two no calls.
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I wonder if JoeW isn't hurt a little. I haven't seen anything specific, but usually his cold spells followed elbow and forearm issues.
 
trj said:
Never understood the Cmac push back. I think his value/contribution is pretty obvious.
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He isn't a big time scoring threat and has a funny looking shot.

Jamaal Wilkes had a funnier looking shot, but staying on point some people won't allow a low scoring, funny shooting wise ass to enter the inner walls of their basketball sanctity.

Add the fact that he is the coaches kid and you have reasons for some to hate him.

Meanwhile...

...he hit a big time three late in the Illinois game last year that Josh Ogelsby seldom hit in big situations.

He hit several big free throws to seal the Rutgers game that Mike Gessell frequently missed.

He makes intelligent decisions on both ends of the floor.

From 2010-2018 Fran coached teams were 22-49 in games decided by six points or less.

Since the beginning of the 2018-2019 season they are 10-8.

Think Connor has something to do with that?

On another note, our schedule sets up really well heading into the January 29 showdown at Illinois. Four of five at home, the one road game a winnable one at Northwestern. We have a chance to make some hay here, boys.
 
Just read Bohnenkamp's piece.

If Connor is good enough for Luka Garza, he's good enough for me. I value Luka's opinion over any jimoke on these boards, including myself.

Luka isn't the most athletic guy. Like Kareem in his late thirties, he needs a facilitator who can get him the ball where he can do damage with it.

Whereever Luka continues his career and at what level, I hope he has a similar post feeder. Meanwhile, Connor is helping make Luka a ton of serious coin right now.
 
WindsorHawk said:
At least we aren’t getting the “he should just play baseball” posts anymore. Progress?
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Anyone who”s followed Iowa hoops closely and saw Connor and Pat grow up around the Iowa basketball program knew there was no way Connor wasn’t going to play every second he could for his dad
 
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