Tag: Connor McCaffery

Josh Ogundele returning to Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team after portal flirtation

The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team will have big man Josh Ogundele returning to Iowa City after exploring the transfer portal.

The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team received news today that center and forward [autotag]Josh Ogundele[/autotag] is returning to Iowa City after previously exploring the transfer portal. Per his own Twitter feed, Ogundele announced the return to Iowa.

With two other former Iowa players having also entered the portal, Ogundele’s return gives the Hawkeyes a presence in the paint that they could continue to develop with time.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffrey[/autotag] recruited Ogundele after he moved from London, England, to the United States at the age of 16.

Ogundele, who appeared in 19 games during the 2021-22 campaign, averaged just over five minutes off the bench in spot minutes for the Hawkeyes. Ogundele finished last season averaging 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. His best minutes came for Iowa on their run to the Big Ten Tournament title.

During the conference tournament, Ogundele provided much-needed minutes against Purdue’s duo of Zach Edey and Trevion Williams. He plugged in and was able to thwart the Boilermakers’ big men in the paint.

Hawkeye fans may also recall Ogundele filling in nicely for [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] on the road against Purdue where he posted career highs in minutes, points, blocks and rebounds.

Iowa lost point guard Joe Toussaint earlier this offseason when he entered the transfer portal. Toussaint announced his decision to join the West Virginia Mountaineers a few weeks ago. Guard Austin Ash also entered the transfer portal.

Ogundele joins sixth-year senior Connor McCaffery as individuals who were unsure to return after the unfortunate first round NCAA Tournament exit to the Richmond Spiders. These two returning puts the Hawkeyes at a 12-man roster per their official team website.

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Connor McCaffery announces return to Iowa Hawkeyes

After sharing the Chris Street Award with teammate Keegan Murray, Connor McCaffery announced his intention to return to Iowa.

After a series of departures to the 2022 NBA draft, graduation and the transfer portal, the Iowa men’s basketball team got some good news. Redshirt senior guard [autotag]Connor McCaffery[/autotag] announced his intentions to return to the Hawkeyes and make use of his sixth season of eligibility.

After being named co-winner of the Chris Street Award alongside teammate [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] at Iowa’s team awards ceremony, McCaffery grabbed the mic and delivered a message.

“Last night, I sat down thinking of what I was going to say for my senior speech. So, then I thought, ‘You know what? I’ll wait to do it next year,'” McCaffery said.

McCaffery averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 assists per game this past season for Iowa. The 6-foot-5 guard connected on 33.8% of his 3-point tries and dished out three or more assists in 11 contests during the 2021-22 season. McCaffery had a big month of February where he made 12-of-19 3-pointers.

In fact, he knocked down 11-of-15 in the final four games of the month at Ohio State, versus Michigan State, at Nebraska and versus Northwestern. That Northwestern performance on Feb. 28 included McCaffery’s season-high 17 points and a career-best five 3-pointers.

With McCaffery’s decision to return, the outlook for the Hawkeyes in 2022-23 is a little clearer. Connor’s younger brother and one of Iowa’s best players returns in Patrick McCaffery. Patrick averaged 10.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game this past season. Guards Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort and Ahron Ulis are all returning. Forward Filip Rebraca is as well. Perkins, Sandfort and Ulis averaged 7.4, 5.0 and 3.1 points per game, respectively. Rebraca added 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

The Hawkeyes are still waiting on sophomore forward [autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag]’s final decision. After averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, Murray announced on April 14 that he would be testing the 2022 NBA draft waters.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to play the game I love every day and to wear the Black and Gold. My focus is being able to grow as a player in every way possible. The opportunity to get feedback and experience working out for NBA teams will help me become the best player I can possibly be and take my game to the next level. I have big plans for next year and this experience will help me do that. I appreciate everyone’s support,” Murray said.

Murray didn’t sign with an agent, so he’s maintained his collegiate eligibility if he chooses to return to Iowa. Underclassmen have until June 1 to either remain or remove their names from the draft and the expectation is that Murray will indeed return to Iowa City.

Of course, guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag]’s college eligibility has expired and Kris’ twin brother, Keegan Murray, announced that he would be entering the 2022 NBA draft where he’s regarded as a likely lottery pick. Beyond that, three players have transferred out. Guard Joe Toussaint is transferring to West Virginia and guard Austin Ash and forward Josh Ogundele announced they aren’t returning either.

Iowa signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] out of the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard Josh Dix from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Hawkeyes are in the running for Utah Valley transfer center [autotag]Fardaws Aimaq[/autotag] as well. Aimaq averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game last season while shooting 43.5% from 3-point range. He included Iowa in his top five along with Gonzaga, Texas, Texas Tech and Washington.

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Iowa makes top 5 for Utah Valley transfer center Fardaws Aimaq

Iowa made the cut for Utah Valley transfer center Fardaws Aimaq.

Iowa is in the process of replacing national player of the year candidate and probable 2022 NBA draft lottery pick [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] as well as Iowa’s and the Big Ten’s career made 3-pointers leader in guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag].

At least one reporter expects the Hawkeyes to be better off than maybe some naysayers would think. 247Sports national college basketball writer Kevin Flaherty recently ranked Iowa No. 16 in his way-too-early top 23 for 2023. Fellow 247Sports writer Isaac Trotter included Hawkeye forward Patrick McCaffery among his players poised to emerge as potential breakout stars in the 2022-23 season.

McCaffery and forward Kris Murray should both see elevated minutes and usage rates. It only makes sense that McCaffery’s 10.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game should go up as well. That should be the case with Kris Murray’s 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, too.

Still, Iowa is losing some serious production in both Keegan Murray and Bohannon. Keegan Murray finished averaging 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Murray joined former Texas star Kevin Durant in becoming just the second player in Division I history to amass more than 800 points, 60 blocks, and 60 3-pointers in a single season. Meanwhile, Bohannon ended his career having made an Iowa and Big Ten record 455 3-pointers. He also averaged 11 points per game last season for the Hawkeyes.

With those losses in mind, Iowa is looking to replenish via the transfer portal. One of the names Iowa has been linked to is Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq. The 6-foot-11 center trimmed his list of potential transfer destinations down to five and Iowa made the cut.

Along with the Hawkeyes, Aimaq is still reportedly considering Gonzaga, Texas, Texas Tech and Washington.

247Sports tabs Iowa Hawkeyes’ Patrick McCaffery as potential 2022-23 breakout star

247Sports’ Isaac Trotter listed Iowa forward Patrick McCaffery as one of his potential breakout stars for the 2022-23 basketball season.

With Kansas’ 72-69 rally over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s national championship game, the 2021-22 college basketball season is officially a wrap. While Iowa’s stay in March Madness was an abbreviated one, the season itself was a big surprise to many prognosticators.

Iowa was picked to finish ninth by the league’s media entering last season. With Iowa replacing national player of the year [autotag]Luka Garza[/autotag], it made sense why some media members might be down on the Hawkeyes at the beginning of this past season.

Instead of the projected ninth-place finish, Iowa wound up ending the Big Ten regular season with a 12-8 league mark to earn the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Of course, the Hawkeyes went on to win the Big Ten Tournament by dispatching of then-No. 9 Purdue in the championship game, 75-66.

Sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] emerged as one of the nation’s best players, upping his points per game average by more than 16 points. Murray averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game to place himself in the conversation for all of the major national player of the year awards.

Now, with Murray having declared for the 2022 NBA draft and guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag] having exhausted his eligibility, Iowa finds itself in similar circumstances to the beginning of last season. Plenty of analysts will be expecting a step backwards for Iowa given the production the Hawkeyes are losing.

That means more opportunities for those returning to campus, though, and Iowa will be hoping for a pair of forwards to make significant leaps during the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season. [autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Patrick McCaffery[/autotag] are both great candidates to make serious strides entering next season. In fact, 247Sports writer Isaac Trotter included McCaffery as one of his potential breakout stars for next season.

Kris Murray is going to be the trendy pick to step up for Iowa after Keegan Murray’s departure for the NBA. Kris Murray is going to be a star, but McCaffery could also be one, too. McCaffery really had a polished offensive game. His usage rate should get a big bump next year, and the 6-foot-9 forward will form a powerful 1-2 punch with Kris Murray. – Trotter, 247Sports.

Again, both Murray and McCaffery will be popular picks to take steps forward in their production. Murray averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in just 17.9 minutes of floor time on average. Meanwhile, McCaffery was one of Iowa’s three players to average double-figure scoring last year. McCaffery averaged 10.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 24.2 minutes of floor time on average.

It’s easy to see both Murray and McCaffery seriously improving upon their averages from this past season. Beyond that, Iowa will need to add some talent from the transfer portal to go along with the pair of three-star guards the Hawkeyes are bringing in. According to 247Sports, Iowa signed three-star point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard [autotag]Josh Dix[/autotag] from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

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Iowa ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s NCAA Tournament pain index

ESPN ranked Iowa No. 4 in its NCAA Tournament pain index.

Unfortunately, Iowa has been no stranger to NCAA Tournament heartbreak. The latest edition came in the Hawkeyes’ first-round matchup in the Midwest region against the 12th-seeded Richmond Spiders in a 67-63 loss on March 17.

Richmond guard Jacob Gilyard knocked down 4-of-7 3-pointers and scored 24 points to lead the Spiders’ upset win. Richmond forwards Tyler Burton and Nathan Cayo added 18 and 15 points, respectively. Iowa entered March Madness having won the Big Ten tournament title over Purdue and the Hawkeyes were being talked about as one of the teams that could unseat No. 1 seed Kansas in the Midwest region.

Instead, Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray’s 21 points and nine rebounds weren’t enough to push the Hawkeyes past the Spiders. Iowa sophomore forward Patrick McCaffery connected on four 3-point tries and added 18 points, but the Hawkeyes didn’t have another double-figure scorer outside of those two.

As a result, Iowa’s dubious streak of having not reached a Sweet 16 since 1999 continued. Ahead of Monday night’s national championship game, ESPN put together its NCAA Tournament pain index and Iowa ranked No. 4 among teams who have been eliminated.

Iowa fans who haven’t seen a trip to the second weekend since 1999 never come in arrogant about the Hawkeyes’ chances in the NCAA tournament, but had to be a bit more hopeful than usual entering a first-round matchup with Richmond. After all, this team had been playing some of the best basketball in the country as the event began, including a thrilling run to the Big Ten tournament championship, with an All-American and future lottery pick in Keegan Murray leading the way. Maybe, just maybe …

But Richmond was another conference tourney champ looking to keep the good times rolling, and it rode Jacob Gilyard (24 points, 6 assists) and some uncharacteristically poor Hawkeyes offense (including 6-of-29 from 3) to a classic 12-over-5 upset. – ESPN.

Given how the Hawkeyes were playing entering the NCAA Tournament and the type of season that Keegan Murray had, there’s plenty of sting with this latest March Madness exit. The fact that it comes on the heels of Iowa having lost as a No. 2 seed with the national player of the year in Luka Garza to Oregon in the tournament’s second round last year only adds to the frustration.

If it’s any solace, Iowa actually wasn’t the Big Ten team ranked the highest on the pain index. That distinction was awarded to Purdue, who lost in the Sweet 16 to cinderella Saint Peter’s. Thanks to the Peacocks’ 67-64 win over Purdue in the Sweet 16, Saint Peter’s became the first No. 15 seed to ever advance to the Elite Eight. Then, Saint Peter’s was promptly routed by North Carolina, 69-49. That can’t make Boilermaker fans feel any better.

Another victim of Saint Peter’s, the Kentucky Wildcats, checked in at No. 2 on ESPN’s pain index. Duke took home the ultimate pain index crown, though. According to this ESPN list, nothing stings more than losing to an archrival in the Final Four. The fact that the Tar Heels ended legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career with a loss in his final home game and then sent he and his team packing in the Final Four created quite the cocktail of misery for Duke fans.

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Iowa’s Keegan Murray, Jordan Bohannon preview first round NCAA Tournament matchup versus Richmond

Iowa star Keegan Murray previewed the challenge that the Richmond Spiders present in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.

After winning nine of their past 10 games, Iowa (26-9, 12-8 Big Ten) enters the NCAA Tournament with all sorts of momentum. That stretch included four wins in four days to capture the program’s third Big Ten Tournament championship after a 75-66 win over Purdue.

Now, the Hawkeyes are gearing up to tip off as the No. 5 seed in the Midwest region against 12th-seeded Richmond. Richmond also won its conference tournament championship, upsetting Davidson in the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game, 64-62.

Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray met with reporters ahead of the Hawkeyes’ first round matchup to preview what type of challenge Richmond will bring to the table inside of KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.

“Yeah, I think they’re a really experienced team. They have a lot of seniors on their team, so that helps them a lot going into March, but they’re a team that plays really well together. They share the ball really well. They have a couple good players, and I feel like their team is really, their experience helps a lot, and that’s what you need and that’s how they made their run in their tournament as a six seed. So, yeah, for us it’s full hands on deck because we know that they’re a really good team,” Murray said.

Richmond brings a wealth of experience to the table. The Spiders’ starting five features a sixth-year player in forward Grant Golden and a pair of fifth-year players in guard Jacob Gilyard and forward Nathan Cayo. Nick Sherod is another sixth-year Richmond guard that comes off the bench for the Spiders.

Iowa redshirt senior guard Jordan Bohannon appreciates the Spiders’ experience and knows that’s a big part of what makes Richmond dangerous.

“I have to give a lot of credit to this Richmond team. They have a lot of those guys that brought all these guys back and decided they wanted to do something special this year, and they’re one of the most experienced teams, very skilled. They’re really tough to guard. I can’t say enough good things about that,” Bohannon said.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery can’t say enough positive things about Richmond either. He noted that Richmond’s players returning is similar to Bohannon’s return for the Hawkeyes. It’s all about why a player chose to return and make use of the COVID eligibility year to come back.

“I think it says a lot about Chris (Mooney) and how he’s built that program. I will say this. I wish I could come back for a sixth year. It’s something that I think was strange at first for the guy. I remember talking to Jordan about it in the beginning, you know, because he had graduated and he had in his mind kind of moved on. We had senior night and celebrated senior night. Wait a minute, I can come back. How great would that be?

“I think the important thing for him—and I’m sure it’s the same for the Richmond guys—okay, if we’re coming back, we’re coming back for a reason, and I think that’s what we saw. Two teams that won the tournament championship and get to play in this tournament, so I’m happy for all of them,” McCaffery said.

To put Richmond’s experience in perspective, the Spiders’ Gilyard and Golden have both eclipsed the 2,000 career points mark, while Cayo and Sherod have each eclipsed 1,350 career points. Burton is right on the doorstep of being a career 1,000-point scorer with 984 points thus far in his career.

McCaffery was asked if he’d seen a team with that type of experience and scoring balance.

“No, I don’t remember any. There may have been. We did play a number of teams this year that had a lot of seniors. You’re seeing that more and more. Seven of your top nine, eight of your top ten are either red shirt juniors, which makes them four-year players or beyond, but I think the point that you’re making is these guys were all incredibly productive 1,000 point scorers, so that gives them a lot of weapons, and I think that that has been proven, especially when they come down the stretch,” McCaffery said.

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Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball NCAA Tournament history

Fifth-seeded Iowa tips off against No. 12 seed Richmond on Thursday. What does the rest of Iowa’s NCAA Tournament history look like?

Iowa (26-9, 12-8 Big Ten) is back into the NCAA Tournament after punching its ticket with a Big Ten Tournament championship win over Purdue, 75-66. The fifth-seeded Hawkeyes will face No. 12 seed Richmond (23-12, 10-8 Atlantic 10) in the NCAA Tournament’s first round from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.

After winning four games in four days to capture the Big Ten Tournament title, Iowa has emerged as a trendy pick to perhaps come out of the Midwest region and reach the Final Four. As far as those expectations go, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery knows the Hawkeyes can’t get ahead of themselves.

“The only way we handle that is to specifically focus on the next game and not look too far ahead or not think too much about all of the talk around what’s possible. I think you have to take care of the present. That’s what we’re trying to do,” McCaffery said to reporters ahead of Iowa’s NCAA Tournament date versus Richmond.

With sophomore forward Keegan Murray leading the way, Iowa has a chance to make a serious run in this year’s edition of March Madness. Murray was recently named first-team All-America by the Associated Press after a season in which he has averaged 23.6 points per game.

“For me, it was really just putting my head down and not listening to what anyone had to say about me. I feel like if I listened to other people’s opinions, I wouldn’t be here right now. For me and my brother, we really just worked in silence. We worked out with each other a lot and got each other better, and I think that was one of the key things that allowed me to have my run this year and also last year, my ascension. I just credit the hard work and the people that have been around me and stuck with me,” Murray said of his breakout season.

Iowa certainly hopes it’s a memorable 28th NCAA Tournament appearance. What has the rest of Iowa’s NCAA Tournament history looked like? Here’s the full history.

Iowa vs. Richmond: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Thursday

Iowa rolls into the NCAA Tournament off a Big Ten Tournament championship. Here’s broadcast info for the Hawkeyes’ date versus Richmond.

Iowa (26-9, 12-8 Big Ten) rolls into the NCAA Tournament after capturing the program’s first Big Ten Tournament title since 2006 after downing Purdue, 75-66, in the championship game. It was the third tournament title in program history and it capped off an incredible run to the crown.

In the process, the Hawkeyes became the only school to win a Big Ten Tournament championship twice by winning four games in four days. Iowa accomplished that same feat in 2001 when it won the tournament title as the league’s No. 6 seed.

Sophomore forward Keegan Murray was named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging 25.7 points per game on 55.8 percent field goal shooting. Murray made 8-of-10 3-point attempts in Iowa’s 80-77 semifinal win over Indiana and finished the tournament shooting a blistering 53.8 percent on 3-pointers.

Murray was joined on the Big Ten’s All-Tournament Team by redshirt senior guard Jordan Bohannon. Bohannon averaged 13 points per game and connected on 43.3 percent of his 3-point tries in the Big Ten Tournament.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of a team than this group, how they worked and sacrificed and incredible unselfishness. But I have to say we played a tremendous team today, incredibly well-coached team who had a great year and anything short of the effort that we put forth today, you know, we would not have won. They were committed to the game plan, they were committed to each other, and there’s no better feeling as a coach than to watch them celebrate the way they were able to celebrate after the game for the Big Ten championship,” Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery said after the Hawkeyes’ win over Purdue.

Now, Iowa looks to keep the momentum going as the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region. The Hawkeyes are set to battle Richmond (23-12, 10-8 Atlantic 10), who earned the No. 12 seed after topping Davidson, 64-62, in the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game.

Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

  • Date: March 17
  • Time: 2:10 p.m. CT
  • TV Channel: truTV
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

Iowa vs. Richmond injury report:

The great news is that both teams enter the NCAA Tournament with a good bill of health. Neither Iowa or Richmond have any injuries to report according to the USA TODAY Sports injury database.

Players to watch:

Iowa:

  • Sophomore forward, Keegan Murray: 23.6 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, 2.0 blocks per game, 55.5 percent field goal shooting, 40.5 percent 3-point shooting
  • Redshirt senior guard, Jordan Bohannon: 11.1 points per game, 1.8 assists per game, 38.9 percent field goal shooting, 38.5 percent 3-point shooting, 88.9 percent free throw shooting
  • Redshirt sophomore forward, Patrick McCaffery: 10.3 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists per game, 42.2 percent field goal shooting, 31.2 percent 3-point shooting
  • Sophomore forward, Kris Murray: 9.9 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, 48.6 percent field goal shooting, 40.6 percent 3-point shooting

Richmond:

  • Junior forward, Tyler Burton: 16.3 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game, 46.7 percent field goal shooting, 37.7 percent 3-point shooting
  • Senior forward, Grant Golden: 14.1 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, 2.8 assists per game, 51.5 percent field goal shooting
  • Senior guard, Jacob Gilyard: 13.3 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, 5.4 assists per game, 36.4 percent 3-point shooting