Hawk Central, Tyler Tachman

Patrick McCaffery is an outstanding young man.

I cannot even imagine how difficult it is for a son to play for his father at this elite level of basketball. The scrutiny and the negativity can be overwhelming unless the team is winning constantly.

I'll probably get in trouble for this, but I think the best thing Fran could have done is to tell his sons to play somewhere else. At some point a parent has to let go, and allow the child to have new adventures and develop a separate identity. Strength comes from having to do it on your own, fighting through life's struggles, away from your parents. The "safety net" of the parents goes away when there is distance between the child and the parents.

Just my two cents.
 
ChosenChildren said:
Patrick McCaffery is an outstanding young man.

I cannot even imagine how difficult it is for a son to play for his father at this elite level of basketball. The scrutiny and the negativity can be overwhelming unless the team is winning constantly.

I'll probably get in trouble for this, but I think the best thing Fran could have done is to tell his sons to play somewhere else. At some point a parent has to let go, and allow the child to have new adventures and develop a separate identity. Strength comes from having to do it on your own, fighting through life's struggles, away from your parents. The "safety net" of the parents goes away when there is distance between the child and the parents.

Just my two cents.
Click to expand...
You shouldn’t get in trouble. Your position makes sense. Bottom line, kids and dads have to decide.
 
It has always been clear that Fran favored both his sons. But not so much that it was a distraction, they both played well enough to make good contributions and that was OK with me.

It's been clear to me from fairly early on in the season that Dix should be starting. He has NBA potential written all over him. I don't know how this came down, but I suspect that Patrick went to Dad and convinced him that Dix should be starting, and he should be coming off the bench.
 
Zstatman said:
It has always been clear that Fran favored both his sons. But not so much that it was a distraction, they both played well enough to make good contributions and that was OK with me.

It's been clear to me from fairly early on in the season that Dix should be starting. He has NBA potential written all over him. I don't know how this came down, but I suspect that Patrick went to Dad and convinced him that Dix should be starting, and he should be coming off the bench.
Click to expand...
It may have been clear to you. And, I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.
 
Zstatman said:
It has always been clear that Fran favored both his sons. But not so much that it was a distraction, they both played well enough to make good contributions and that was OK with me.
Click to expand...

Back when I was coaching (in the '80s), I worked the Wartburg Basketball Camp. The coach from Denver (I believe) made the statement "You better hope that your son is really bad or really good because anything in between and you will be criticized mercilessly." When I asked him which was his son, really good or really bad, he replied "Neither. He wrestles."
 
HuckFinn said:
It may have been clear to you. And, I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.
Click to expand...
LOL. I think I am on team Huck. Fran has at various points, moved both of his sons from starting roles to the bench. While these are his sons, a BB coach is very close to all of his players and he wants to win, so I never felt Fran played his sons when he should not have anymore than other players whose minutes perplexed.

Garza's freshmen year I thought he was a waste of a schollie. Sanford could not hit the broad side of a barn early last year and he kept getting sent out there. Even before he was hurt, I did not see that Bowen should have been getting minutes. I remember screaming at the tv when Cordell Pemsl entered the game. Because they have McCaffrey on the jersey, they got more scrutiny, but every guy goes through patches where they seem like they do not deserve to be getting the minutes they are getting. But, the coaches have to play the long game and let guys work through slumps and grow.

I always thought that Connor and Patrick's minutes were earned. Patrick has had a solid career and joining the 1000 point club is nothing to sneeze at. As for Connor, after he gave up baseball, he became invaluable. Garza does not win the Wooden award without Connor feeding him the ball all season.
 
Zstatman said:
It has always been clear that Fran favored both his sons. But not so much that it was a distraction, they both played well enough to make good contributions and that was OK with me.

It's been clear to me from fairly early on in the season that Dix should be starting. He has NBA potential written all over him. I don't know how this came down, but I suspect that Patrick went to Dad and convinced him that Dix should be starting, and he should be coming off the bench.
Click to expand...
Lol, early in the year Dix looked lost and like another potential bust at guard for Fran. Deer in the headlights against every team Iowa played with a pulse. I remember how unprepared he looked in the ISU game, Fran had to pull him after back to back turnovers. To say you saw his NBA potential early in the season while he was scoring 4 against North Dakota, 7 against Alabama State, 5 against FAMU and UMBC is some serious revisionist history if I've ever heard it. He did nothing early on to show that he was a potential NBA player and still has a long ways to go before we get there now.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
LOL. I think I am on team Huck. Fran has at various points, moved both of his sons from starting roles to the bench. While these are his sons, a BB coach is very close to all of his players and he wants to win, so I never felt Fran played his sons when he should not have anymore than other players whose minutes perplexed.

Garza's freshmen year I thought he was a waste of a schollie. Sanford could not hit the broad side of a barn early last year and he kept getting sent out there. Even before he was hurt, I did not see that Bowen should have been getting minutes. I remember screaming at the tv when Cordell Pemsl entered the game. Because they have McCaffrey on the jersey, they got more scrutiny, but every guy goes through patches where they seem like they do not deserve to be getting the minutes they are getting. But, the coaches have to play the long game and let guys work through slumps and grow.

I always thought that Connor and Patrick's minutes were earned. Patrick has had a solid career and joining the 1000 point club is nothing to sneeze at. As for Connor, after he gave up baseball, he became invaluable. Garza does not win the Wooden award without Connor feeding him the ball all season.
Click to expand...
If having his kids was a problem, it would have created a problem on the team. Instead, I think they likely helped keep them all closer.
 
My only criticisms of the McCraffrey bros. goes as follows:

Both have/had unorthodox jumpshots. I always expect a coach’s kid or a kid of a former player to have a clean jumper and the fact neither did, made me wonder what happened.

Pmac’s basketball IQ hasn’t always been the greatest…too many “WTF are you doing” moments with him that you leave frustrated. Once again, I am repeating the same thing, you are a coach’s kid, you don’t understand the moment?

Those are minor nitpicks and I truly understand what the McCraffrey bros. have given to the program the last seven years and I want Pmac to come back next year. I also realize it is 2024, where there are no nuance or context with anything. You are either a hater or everything is sunshine and rainbows…I am just pointing out I am totally pro with both of them having earned schollies and what they contributed to the program.

Sidenote: We all know what happened to Jack. He is suppose to be the combo of Conner and Pmac and I kinda want to see what that looks like in an Iowa uniform. Obviously, we will not see that and I get why we will never see it.
 
trj said:
My only criticisms of the McCraffrey bros. goes as follows:

Both have/had unorthodox jumpshots. I always expect a coach’s kid or a kid of a former player to have a clean jumper and the fact neither did, made me wonder what happened.

Pmac’s basketball IQ hasn’t always been the greatest…too many “WTF are you doing” moments with him that you leave frustrated. Once again, I am repeating the same thing, you are a coach’s kid, you don’t understand the moment?

Those are minor nitpicks and I truly understand what the McCraffrey bros. have given to the program the last seven years and I want Pmac to come back next year. I also realize it is 2024, where there are no nuance or context with anything. You are either a hater or everything is sunshine and rainbows…I am just pointing out I am totally pro with both of them having earned schollies and what they contributed to the program.

Sidenote: We all know what happened to Jack. He is suppose to be the combo of Conner and Pmac and I kinda want to see what that looks like in an Iowa uniform. Obviously, we will not see that and I get why we will never see it.
Click to expand...
Imo neither lived up to their ranking coming out of HS but that’s how it goes for most. They were solid players for the program and did a lot, but neither were impact players. Personally I thought Connor was better even tho he didn’t score as much.. If I saw how my kids were treated by a large faction of the fan base I’d want my kid to go somewhere else too. I don’t think they were given fair shots here because of who there dad was. Had they gone elsewhere they may have been appreciated for their roles they’ve played in teams. That comes with the territory and I’m sure Fran knew that going in. They’ve also had a large majority of the fan base in the corner since day 1. I’m glad they played here, I think Jack still could if Fran stays in IC. Going to another school is not nearly as binding as it was a decade ago, or hell 4 years ago.
 
It is ironic that Connor was one of the most heady players to ever put on a Hawk jersey and his younger brother definitely has had his moments the other way.

I think these players are more insulated than you think. Sure, they see some social media and have a sense of things, but they are bright enough to know there are always going to be haters. I doubt they spend as much time as we do listening to what people think about them anonomously online. They have been in a coaching family and in IC pretty much their whole lives. Criticism comes with the territory.
 
ChosenChildren said:
Patrick McCaffery is an outstanding young man.

I cannot even imagine how difficult it is for a son to play for his father at this elite level of basketball. The scrutiny and the negativity can be overwhelming unless the team is winning constantly.

I'll probably get in trouble for this, but I think the best thing Fran could have done is to tell his sons to play somewhere else. At some point a parent has to let go, and allow the child to have new adventures and develop a separate identity. Strength comes from having to do it on your own, fighting through life's struggles, away from your parents. The "safety net" of the parents goes away when there is distance between the child and the parents.

Just my two cents.
Click to expand...
Agree, but the other side is growing up in Carver, the community being there to support the thyroid cancer, his brother playing there. By all means the best thing Fran could have done was pushed him to go somewhere else, but at the same time in Patrick's mind after all he'd experienced growing up maybe it wasn't ever about playing for his dad, but following his heart and playing for the program he'd dreamed about from day one, that happened to have been coached by his dad, while being willing to accept everything else along the way, knowing it may not be easy.

I agree that it's been anything but easy for him and things get amplified based on the fact he's playing for his dad. I also think that it would have been much easier on him to take the path less traveled with lesser expectations and do his own thing at another program, but can see how/why he ended up choosing the path he did.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
It is ironic that Connor was one of the most heady players to ever put on a Hawk jersey and his younger brother definitely has had his moments the other way.

I think these players are more insulated than you think. Sure, they see some social media and have a sense of things, but they are bright enough to know there are always going to be haters. I doubt they spend as much time as we do listening to what people think about them anonomously online. They have been in a coaching family and in IC pretty much their whole lives. Criticism comes with the territory.
Click to expand...
The podcasts that they've done and especially the podcast they had Margeret on would suggest differently. They know exactly what is being said about them, their Dad and they see the barn a 1/3rd full. Iowa fans have never fully embraced Fran or his family and I definitely feel there is some resentment there just based off of things they've said over the years on their podcast and on Twitter.
 
InGoodCo said:
Imo neither lived up to their ranking coming out of HS but that’s how it goes for most. They were solid players for the program and did a lot, but neither were impact players. Personally I thought Connor was better even tho he didn’t score as much.. If I saw how my kids were treated by a large faction of the fan base I’d want my kid to go somewhere else too. I don’t think they were given fair shots here because of who there dad was. Had they gone elsewhere they may have been appreciated for their roles they’ve played in teams. That comes with the territory and I’m sure Fran knew that going in. They’ve also had a large majority of the fan base in the corner since day 1. I’m glad they played here, I think Jack still could if Fran stays in IC. Going to another school is not nearly as binding as it was a decade ago, or hell 4 years ago.
Click to expand...
Re neither player living up to their ranking, I have wondered in recent years about the quality of boys h.s. hoops in Iowa. I'm not in that world, so have no idea. But I remember seeing clips of PMac in h.s., and seeing his high ranking, and thinking, "Really?" The highly-touted Bilaw (?) who went to Ia. State was going to be the 2nd Coming, and he's been on the bench most of the Cyclone season. My question: does the generally subpar level of h.s. boys bball in Iowa end up favorably distorting the ranking of individual players who stand above that crowd? Again, I'm just asking because I have no idea.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
It is ironic that Connor was one of the most heady players to ever put on a Hawk jersey and his younger brother definitely has had his moments the other way.

I think these players are more insulated than you think. Sure, they see some social media and have a sense of things, but they are bright enough to know there are always going to be haters. I doubt they spend as much time as we do listening to what people think about them anonomously online. They have been in a coaching family and in IC pretty much their whole lives. Criticism comes with the territory.
Click to expand...
Have you seen some of the podcasts that CM and PM did for awhile? They are on youtube. Sandfort and PM did a few too. They seem pretty tuned in to what all's been said about them. They all seem very self aware and are smart guys. Connor is probably the smartest player that's ever suited up for Iowa he's an extremely smart guy I admire the shit out of him for all he's worked for and been through.

PM has had another whole level of stuff he's been through obviously. It's just amazing he's been able to play D1 hoops. I along with many have nitpicked his game and how he plays almost the opposite of how his brother and coaches kids often do. But that's alright. He's far surpassed any expectations that should've realistically ever been put on him.

I think that level of awareness by the McCafferys is a large reason why the youngest isn't going to play for Iowa. He grew up hearing everything from all angles. Classmates/parents, media, social media etc etc I think they are all pretty aware of what's all being said most of the time
 
I guess I did not appreciate they spent so much time taking in the noise, and maybe that is part of the problem. As my college track coach used to say, any runner who turns to see if someone is coming up on them from behind is focused in the wrong direction.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top