As the calendar has shifted its way into October, that means the arrival of college basketball season is just around the corner.
Fresh off a fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery is set to embark upon a 14th season guiding the Hawkeyes.
Iowa finished last season 19-14 (11-9 Big Ten) and earned a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, bowing out to ninth-seeded Auburn in the first round.
Gone are the team’s top two scorers and rebounders from last season in first-round NBA draft pick Kris Murray and in Filip Rebraca. Connor McCaffery, who started 88 games over his Hawkeye career, has moved on as well.
Now, Iowa turns to guards Tony Perkins and Payton Sandfort and forward Patrick McCaffery as its likely leading actors. Transfers Ben Krikke and Even Brauns come over to join the rotation alongside a talented cast of freshmen and rising sophomores Dasonte Bowen and Josh Dix.
With the team’s first exhibition set for Oct. 30 against Quincy in Iowa City, McCaffery met with the media to preview his team’s 2023-24 season.
Here’s 10 items that stood out from coach McCaffery at Iowa’s annual Media Day.