The Basketball Interview with Connor McCaffery
The top ranked player in the class of 2017, Connor McCaffery has been a starter since day one of his freshman year for the state’s premier basketball program, Iowa City West. The son of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery, Connor will be headed to play for his dad next season, but he took some time to provide some insight into various topics before his senior season gets underway. This is “The Basketball Interview with Connor McCaffery”.
Q: What is your favorite part of game day at West?
My favorite part about game day at West is the atmosphere. I love running out from our locker room before the game to go warmup and seeing all of the people there ready to watch. Everything about game day is special. My routine is always the same for before and after, and then the game itself is the best part.
Q: Who is the most difficult player to defend in the state?
The most difficult player to defend in the state is probably my brother Patrick and you wouldn’t think that by looking at him. In a 1 on 1 situation it’s really hard to guard him because he is so long. You can’t block his shot because he elevates over you and it’s hard to stay in front of him because he’s so long and crafty and he figures out ways to attack angles and get around you. In a 5 on 5 situation, other than myself, I’d say Joe Wieskamp, Austin Phyfe and Devontae Lane are all tough covers for opposing teams. I also haven’t guarded every good player from each team, so I’d need to do that to be sure.
Q: Other than West, which gym is your favorite to play in and why?
I have two places that I love to play in the state and it’s probably a tie between City High and Dubuque Wahlert. I love the atmosphere at City. You can feel the intensity in the air at times during the game because it’s such a small gym packed wall to wall with fans. Dubuque Wahlert is a fun place to play because of their atmosphere and also because they have really friendly rims. It’s a shooters gym.
Q: If you had complete control over the schedule and could put anyone in the state on the schedule, who would you want to play?
If I had complete control of the schedule I would want to play a tournament of champions at the end of the state tournament. I’d want the 3A champion to play the 1A champion and then the 4A champion to play the 2A champion and have the winners of each play to be the champion of everyone. I think it’d be an even cooler way to end the season.
Q: Who is your favorite basketball player of all-time? Do you model your game after them or any other players?
My favorite player of all-time is Dwayne Wade but I don’t really model my game after his. I’ve always loved watching him compete but I don’t consider myself an explosive athlete. A player I would like to model my game after is someone like Denzel Valentine. He is a great shooter but his playmaking ability is his best attribute. He affects the game in so many ways besides scoring. His passing is something that I find fun to watch. I would love to be a player like him.
Q: What is the best piece of coaching advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of coaching advice I’ve ever received is something my dad (Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery) always tells me. When your shot isn’t falling, affect the game in another way. Whether it’s playmaking or defense or rebounding, do something that can make up for not hitting shots and that’s something I always try and do. I try to affect the game in a multitude of ways every time I step out on the court and it’s not always scoring. People watch me play and think that I am going to score 30 points per game because I am committed to Iowa. I can score but my goal as a player is to make sure my team wins and also to make sure that the people around me play to the best of their ability. As the point guard I have to bring the best out in my teammates and I try to do the best job I can of that.