Connor McCaffery Announces Return for 6th Season

Gonna need his experience next season because it will be valuable in the battle for the upper half of the B1G. His return means more than any adding any other guard from the portal at this point. Gonna need Perkins to continue his upward trajectory, and gonna need a big jump from Ulis. Those three and Sandfort should provide a solid B1G backcourt in my opinion.
 
Fine player, but for all that is holy, take some shooting lessons! His form is absolutely horrible, starting with the inexplicable twisting of the body when he initiates his shot. No good shooter has ever used his mechanics. It is mind-boggling to me, because he has everything else to be a top guard in the Big Ten, including a high motor, intelligence, poise and a unique, physical style.

If this kid had a reliable 3 point shot, he could be a very dangerous SCORER on the offensive end. Right now, he is not.
 
Classic “is what he is” in effect. Lots of value that is not real visible. Would love to see him shoot like he did late in the year. Also, remember that he, at times, had to beat the shot clock for the team.
 
ChosenChildren said:
Fine player, but for all that is holy, take some shooting lessons! His form is absolutely horrible, starting with the inexplicable twisting of the body when he initiates his shot. No good shooter has ever used his mechanics. It is mind-boggling to me, because he has everything else to be a top guard in the Big Ten, including a high motor, intelligence, poise and a unique, physical style.

If this kid had a reliable 3 point shot, he could be a very dangerous SCORER on the offensive end. Right now, he is not.
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No kidding, any value he has gets sucked out of the room when he hoists all those bricks.
 
The lack of post on this subject speaks for itself. If his offense doesn’t pick up then he is a liability. Those of you who think otherwise are forgetting two main points, Garza and Murray aren’t around anymore. All Americans can make average to below average players look better than they really are.

So it is vital that he brings a CONSISTENT offensive presence to the floor. If he doesn’t then he is just wasted space.

Connor if your reading this it’s nothing personal, your a good role player off of the bench on many teams and that is alright because someone has to fill that role.

You can change that this year by being more of a consistent threat on the offensive side of the court. I hope you do and I sincerely wish you the best, after all you will be wearing the Iowa uniform and I will be cheering for you and all your teammates to do their best.

The last two regular seasons have been fun to watch but the last two NCAA tournaments have been extremely painful and disappointing.

Will there be another All American to rise out of pack this year. I couldn’t even guess who it might be but if I was forced to guess I would say that sharp shooting guard from last year looks very promising and he has the size to take it to the hoop.
 
BigD said:
The lack of post on this subject speaks for itself. If his offense doesn’t pick up then he is a liability. Those of you who think otherwise are forgetting two main points, Garza and Murray aren’t around anymore. All Americans can make average to below average players look better than they really are.

So it is vital that he brings a CONSISTENT offensive presence to the floor. If he doesn’t then he is just wasted space.

Connor if your reading this it’s nothing personal, your a good role player off of the bench on many teams and that is alright because someone has to fill that role.

You can change that this year by being more of a consistent threat on the offensive side of the court. I hope you do and I sincerely wish you the best, after all you will be wearing the Iowa uniform and I will be cheering for you and all your teammates to do their best.

The last two regular seasons have been fun to watch but the last two NCAA tournaments have been extremely painful and disappointing.

Will there be another All American to rise out of pack this year. I couldn’t even guess who it might be but if I was forced to guess I would say that sharp shooting guard from last year looks very promising and he has the size to take it to the hoop.
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When you look down, and your horse is dead, dismount.
 
Besides his Freshman season when he played 4 games and redshirted, Iowa has been easily in the dance. I realize that he's not been the main factor in that, but having his experience and knowledge and him being a coach on the court...i feel like his value to the program is better than just about any portal trash we could pick up.

He might not have the offensive game of someone we could bring in, but I am guessing no one we could bring in would have his versatility, experience or basketball acumen either...which, on a team that has no struggles putting the ball in the hoop - is very valuable.
 
Guess I see it differently. How did he start 27 more games and get 25 percent more playing time than a 1st round draft pick in 20/21?
 
HawkGold said:
Guess I see it differently. How did he start 27 more games and get 25 percent more playing time than a 1st round draft pick in 20/21?
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That’s a good question. Just curious………. whats his dad do for a living?

All kidding aside your question could be taken either way. As a pro or con type of question.

Don’t get me wrong we will need experience coming back. Like I said he makes a nice off the bench type of player and would do a nice job for several teams doing that.

Maybe what we say towards the end of the season will be more consistent. I understand he had injuries that hampered his progression. This could be a great season for him this fall.

I remember defending Eric May and pointed out he showed great promise early on before injuries really set him back. I also pointed out that reports were that May was completely healthy and that I predicted a great season for him while many were down on him.

I hope Connor has a Eric May kind of season and becomes a huge factor for his last season. That would be great!!!

Before last season started I thought this up coming season would be one of Iowa’s better teams. I expected Murray to be pretty good his sophomore season but achieve what he did this past season in his junior season. Did it expect him to go pro as a Sophomore.

it’s possible his brother could have a great season this fall. So there are some good piece’s on this team. Again someone will need to step up and be a Keagan type of player for Iowa to be in upper half again.

Fran needs to land a B1G who can muscle with the B1Gs under the basket. Hopefully he can get one out of the portal.

I don’t particularly like the NBA and now with players making money off of their skills, college has turned into minor league territory .
For some it was already there but now it is really going to be there.

I agree with Rob’s comment that basically they just ruined college basketball. Maybe not for those who really follow the NBA but for someone like myself who has always enjoyed college basketball and not the money game that the NBA is, there is good chance I will eventually lose interest in college basketball as it becomes polluted through and through with corruption.

How does a University with values and integrity survive??
 
BigD said:
That’s a good question. Just curious………. whats his dad do for a living?

All kidding aside your question could be taken either way. As a pro or con type of question.

Don’t get me wrong we will need experience coming back. Like I said he makes a nice off the bench type of player and would do a nice job for several teams doing that.

Maybe what we say towards the end of the season will be more consistent. I understand he had injuries that hampered his progression. This could be a great season for him this fall.

I remember defending Eric May and pointed out he showed great promise early on before injuries really set him back. I also pointed out that reports were that May was completely healthy and that I predicted a great season for him while many were down on him.

I hope Connor has a Eric May kind of season and becomes a huge factor for his last season. That would be great!!!

Before last season started I thought this up coming season would be one of Iowa’s better teams. I expected Murray to be pretty good his sophomore season but achieve what he did this past season in his junior season. Did it expect him to go pro as a Sophomore.

it’s possible his brother could have a great season this fall. So there are some good piece’s on this team. Again someone will need to step up and be a Keagan type of player for Iowa to be in upper half again.

Fran needs to land a B1G who can muscle with the B1Gs under the basket. Hopefully he can get one out of the portal.

I don’t particularly like the NBA and now with players making money off of their skills, college has turned into minor league territory .
For some it was already there but now it is really going to be there.

I agree with Rob’s comment that basically they just ruined college basketball. Maybe not for those who really follow the NBA but for someone like myself who has always enjoyed college basketball and not the money game that the NBA is, there is good chance I will eventually lose interest in college basketball as it becomes polluted through and through with corruption.

How does a University with values and integrity survive??
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Kind of did it deliberately. I also wonder about if Kris' development has been "delayed" due to competition and inside tracts to playing time.

In this age, both experience and maturity mean a lot. JB matured a lot during six years.

I think in a few years we might not recognize college BB, but there will be a lot of reasons for that, some not so obvious. If the guy ONLY had some kind of shot and could consistently contribute 10 points a game. Heck even 9. He has a lot of zero to 4 games.
 
BigD said:
The lack of post on this subject speaks for itself. If his offense doesn’t pick up then he is a liability. Those of you who think otherwise are forgetting two main points, Garza and Murray aren’t around anymore. All Americans can make average to below average players look better than they really are.

So it is vital that he brings a CONSISTENT offensive presence to the floor. If he doesn’t then he is just wasted space.

Connor if your reading this it’s nothing personal, your a good role player off of the bench on many teams and that is alright because someone has to fill that role.

You can change that this year by being more of a consistent threat on the offensive side of the court. I hope you do and I sincerely wish you the best, after all you will be wearing the Iowa uniform and I will be cheering for you and all your teammates to do their best.

The last two regular seasons have been fun to watch but the last two NCAA tournaments have been extremely painful and disappointing.

Will there be another All American to rise out of pack this year. I couldn’t even guess who it might be but if I was forced to guess I would say that sharp shooting guard from last year looks very promising and he has the size to take it to the hoop.
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I don't think he's a liability beyond 3 pt shooting and lots of players aren't all that great at those that play a lot. He does so much more than what the box score shows. I recommend you listen to some of his and PMs podcasts. They really get into talking hoops and it's awesome.

He's an unpaid coach on the floor and the bench. He calls out what other teams are doing all the time. He's as tough as nails and can play multiple positions. He makes sure his guys know where they are supposed to be. He does all of this with no ego and doesn't care if he starts, plays 5 mins or 30 mins. He just wants to win. How many players in college can that really be said about?

Every program wants a guy like him. Sure if he's cold and missing open looks you don't play him as much. But he's as self aware of a guy as there is if you listen to him. We fans would be pretty stupid to not welcome him back if you ask me
 
We have enough younglings that will be looking to score. Connor will have an occasional game where he buries a few 3's, but that's a bonus. Right now, we need floor leader more than another 6'-something guard to hoist up 3 point shots. Oh, and we need a center, but that's another post...........
 
The criticisms of Fran favoring his kid(s) is so tired. Connor absolutely should have started over Keegan two years ago. Iowa had one of the best true college centers in a generation, and Connor is the most gifted post feeder in the country. Garza would still have had a great season if Connor doesn't exist, but he would not have been POY. Connor made that team work and Keegan was still discovering his game after being overlooked by the entire damn country except for Fran.

Then you know what happened next year? Fran benched his two year starting son in favor of Keegan because Keegan was ready to take over as the alpha and Connor was not needed as much without Garza. Connor was still a huge contributor off the bench. Yes he started his other son, but Patrick was the most consistent player on the court for Iowa outside of Keegan. Patrick would start for nearly all of the teams in the conference.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
The criticisms of Fran favoring his kid(s) is so tired. Connor absolutely should have started over Keegan two years ago. Iowa had one of the best true college centers in a generation, and Connor is the most gifted post feeder in the country. Garza would still have had a great season if Connor doesn't exist, but he would not have been POY. Connor made that team work and Keegan was still discovering his game after being overlooked by the entire damn country except for Fran.

Then you know what happened next year? Fran benched his two year starting son in favor of Keegan because Keegan was ready to take over as the alpha and Connor was not needed as much without Garza. Connor was still a huge contributor off the bench. Yes he started his other son, but Patrick was the most consistent player on the court for Iowa outside of Keegan. Patrick would start for nearly all of the teams in the conference.
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Gets tiresome both ways. Won't end until they graduate. Comes with the territory. Wouldn't be much of a discussion if he could actually shoot. It does raise the question and as tired as it is it still leaves one wondering. How did both sons of a D1 coach not get the basics of shooting down. Their fundamentals in the area are weak. Heck their mom was a D1 player. That said, their form really is more like a female, which is maybe indicative on the mom having more time? I'd like to think Fran can actually teach shooting. MJ always claimed to have to work on shooting fundamentals a whole lot in the NBA.
 
HawkGold said:
Gets tiresome both ways. Won't end until they graduate. Comes with the territory. Wouldn't be much of a discussion if he could actually shoot. It does raise the question and as tired as it is it still leaves one wondering. How did both sons of a D1 coach not get the basics of shooting down. Their fundamentals in the area are weak. Heck their mom was a D1 player. That said, their form really is more like a female, which is maybe indicative on the mom having more time? I'd like to think Fran can actually teach shooting. MJ always claimed to have to work on shooting fundamentals a whole lot in the NBA.
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^^^^I'm glad Conner is coming back and I understand his value. Feeding the post and/or entry passes is a lost art and Conner is excellent at it . However, when it comes to shooting the basketball I don't think this post is far off.
 
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Lol,

Well that was good for an additional ten post.

Seriously?

Have you guys ever know me to be critical of a player like that? Thought I would try to stir up some conversation. It’s the off season and pretty quiet around here.

The only serious part was the comment about still being disappointed in the last two NCAA tournaments and how letting money be involved with the players will adversely affect the sport.

Gotta give Fran a lot of credit. Two back to back years with all Americans. :)

Gotta also be critical of Fran with two NCAA tournaments early outs with two all Americans back to back. :(
 
HawkGold said:
Gets tiresome both ways. Won't end until they graduate. Comes with the territory. Wouldn't be much of a discussion if he could actually shoot. It does raise the question and as tired as it is it still leaves one wondering. How did both sons of a D1 coach not get the basics of shooting down. Their fundamentals in the area are weak. Heck their mom was a D1 player. That said, their form really is more like a female, which is maybe indicative on the mom having more time? I'd like to think Fran can actually teach shooting. MJ always claimed to have to work on shooting fundamentals a whole lot in the NBA.
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I agree the shots are not pretty for either boy, and they are both very different. Patrick is a better shooter though.

Fran never coached these two before college. They had a lot of coaches along the way that also could have corrected the shot. Select, AAU, high school, etc. Fran had a few things going on during the formative years trying to turn around dumpster fire of a program, battling cancer in his family, and helping to raise kids. Maybe he didn't have as much time in the driveway as he would have liked.

Its pretty hard to deconstruct a shot at this stage of a career. You can tweak it, but college kids have 50,000 shots of muscle memory in the books.

No matter how pure his shot could have developed, Connor may not have the stuff to be a great shooter. JT can't shoot any better. Uhlis the same. A lot of guards just are not effective outside shooters.

Sure it would be great if Connor could shoot 35% from 3. But, you cannot deny the other skills he brings to the floor, and his leadership and basketball IQ. Tournament success aside, Iowa has gotten better every year since Connor got here a decade ago.
 
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