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| Hawk Central
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – There are a ton of diapers to unwrap from the 89-67 rout from Iowa in Maryland Thursday night.
There was the victorious return of Luka Garza. There was the remarkable comeback of Connor McCaffery. There was Jordan Bohannon’s rekindled love for the Terrapin house floor.
But let’s start with what happened two hours before the Hawkeyes improved to 10-2 overall, 4-1 in the Big Ten Conference game.
Players, coaches and even referees took a knee before the pointe in a brief but powerful moment.
“Kneeling” has become a way of protesting police violence and raising awareness of racism in America, and the alarming events on Wednesday in Washington, DC – where mobs of rioters charged in the US Capitol largely unhindered by law enforcement – have had players in the Iowa-Maryland Game, which takes place just 16 miles away, wanting to send their own message.
Here is how it happened. Darryl Morsell, senior of Maryland, had texted Jordan Bohannon, senior of Iowa, about the idea, and Bohannon directed it by the Hawkeye players. They agreed to join the Terrapins by taking a knee just before the 7:01 p.m. EST tip-off.
“I thought it was really powerful and important,” Bohannon said afterwards.
Iowa 11th-grade coach Fran McCaffery is outspoken when it comes to social justice issues. He called Wednesday’s events “objectionable” but expressed confidence that change is coming.
“After a while you are tired of kneeling and you are tired of talking about it.” What happened yesterday simply cannot happen in our country, ”said McCaffery. “One of the things we always talk about is that at least we (have to) have a conversation. And the conversation must turn into action. Fortunately, more and more people are recognizing the changes that need to take place. We all want this to happen faster. But it’s going to take place. It will happen. “
Connor McCaffery sends a message to his opponents: let me down at your peril.
Some Iowa opponents – including Maryland on Thursday – decided to intentionally leave McCaffery wide open behind the 3-point line, where he entered as a 20 percent shooter on Thursday.
Good, the fourth-year junior said after posting his best statistic line of the season: six points, five rebounds, a career-high 10 assists, zero turnover.
“They disrespected me,” McCaffery said. “When they’re outside of me like that, I really like it. That’s why I had 10 assists and no turns. I don’t think that’s a good game plan at all, to be honest with you. I can make the perfect pass. I just wait for the guys to be in a perfect position, then I charge the people. If they want to play this game plan, all I’m going to do is load people up.
Garza is cool with that, too. He is often the recipient of McCaffery’s entries in the message. On Wednesday night, the two were plotting in their hotel about how to take advantage of the Maryland defense.
“He’s the best post-entry passer I’ve ever played with,” Garza said. “It makes my job easier. He is patient, he waits for me (to work openly).
The fact that McCaffery played was a bit of a surprise. He was doubtful after spraining an ankle early against Rutgers on Saturday. But after three days off he was able to train on Wednesday and played 26 effective minutes on Thursday. He even hit two 3 points, a season high; the former sparked a scorching 20-0 run in Iowa in the first half.
“It was great to have him there,” said Fran McCaffery. “I’m so proud of him.”
It was a good night to be a McCaffery. It was also Patrick McCaffery’s best game against an important opponent: 10 shooting points 4 for 6, three rebounds and a lot of activity. In six previous games against the Big Ten, North Carolina and Gonzaga & mldr; McCaffery had scored a total of 14 points. He climbs.
There is something about Maryland and Bohannon & mldr;
Until Thursday, Bohannon was the only Hawkeye to win in Maryland. When he was a true freshman in February 2017, the Marion native rained eight points at three of 10 attempts in a surprising 83-69 win at the Xfinity Center. A year later, he did a little quietly 5 of 10 of 3 in a 91-73 loss that is remembered for the ejection of Fran McCaffery in the second half.
But he hadn’t fired a bullet here for exactly three years. Iowa didn’t play in Maryland in 2019 and he was out after hip surgery for the 2020 game. I noticed during the pre-game that Bohannon was lining up at the “M” at mid pitch and shoot 3 effortlessly … and swing them. He clearly feels comfortable here.
Bohannon sank 6 of 9 attempts on a 3-point range Thursday – bringing his career accuracy here to an incredible 19 of 29 (65.5%) – for 18 points. Five of his 3 arrived in the second half. His marksmanship helped stave off any hope of a rally in Maryland.
“I didn’t have a lot of looks in the first half,” said Bohannon. “My guys kept telling me to open up and they will find me. I got a couple of transition 3s and then I just went down and ran in the second half.
A few more notes on Bohannon’s hot shots. He’s now 15-for-23 of 3 in three games since giving up the shooting sleeve on his right arm before the Northwestern game. And Iowa is 7-0 in multiple-3 games.
If by any chance Bohannon returns for a sixth year in Iowa, Maryland is better off not welcoming the Hawkeyes in 2022.
While Garza’s comeback didn’t go exactly as planned, he did secure the victory.
Garza was planning to reunite with his family who live in northern Virginia – father, mother and sister – but Wednesday’s events forced early curfews in the area. It meant that Garza couldn’t kiss his mother for the first time in a long time.
Yet, Garza said, it was secondary to his primary mission to visit his native region. He was there to win. 2017 Washington, DC Player of the Year Gatorade finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists on Thursday. So many different Hawkeyes contributed on Thursday that Garza’s services were not needed late. He didn’t play the 6:17 final after Iowa’s lead increased to 78-52.
Garza lost here as a rookie and a junior. Not as a senior. And that meant a lot to him, considering Maryland never recruited him.
“It took me three tries,” Garza said. “& Mldr; I’m so glad I was finally able to make it here and bring one home for the DMV.
Don’t worry about the distribution of minutes; the results are obvious.
Even after the win, fans were upset that Keegan Murray (12 points, five rebounds, 20:46 playing time) was not on the field more often. I understand the feeling – Murray contributes in so many ways when he’s out there and has been a better team over-30 – but I can’t understand complaining after a 22-point road win.
Here’s the deal: McCaffery sat CJ Fredrick and Joe Wieskamp for most of the first half after an uninspiring defense. To start the second half, he deliberately let the starters run longer than usual. No. 1, they were cooler. No.2, it didn’t hurt to reassure them that they are still among the main catalysts of this top 10 team with high hopes. After Fredrick assisted a Bohannon 3 and Wieskamp stormed for a dunk, Iowa’s lead was 66-41 with 11:50 left.
We know Fredrick and Wieskamp are great players. We were also reassured Thursday that there was a lot of bench save. This is all good news for the Hawkeyes going forward.
A farewell thought from College Park & mldr;
After strong back-to-back road wins, Iowa have four of their next five at home. And you better believe the Hawkeyes will be locked up for Sunday’s 1:30 p.m. date with Minnesota. The Gophers are the only Big Ten team to beat them, a 102-95 overtime decision on Dec. 25 when Iowa took a seven-point lead in the final 37 seconds of regulation.
“It’s definitely a game that we have marked on the calendar,” said Bohannon. “& Mldr; We thought we had them at home and we let him go. We have a lot of energy in this game. We have to keep fighting if we are to have the season we want.”
Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow covered the sport for 26 years with The Des Moines Register, USA TODAY and Iowa City Press-Citizen. Follow @ChadLeistikow on Twitter.
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