Iowa flies over UConn to win the 2K Empire Classic

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NEW YORK – In the first 89 seconds of the night, Iowa junior guard Jordan Bohannon made two fouls, forcing coach Fran McCaffery to double the scorer and third-year goaltender.

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Redshirt rookie Connor McCaffery, the coach's son, replaced Bohannon. It was not exactly the kind of situation the Hawkeyes were hoping for, but they did not miss a beat. In fact, with McCaffery on the ground, they have undoubtedly had their best time of this young season.

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When Bohannon returned more than 11 minutes later, Iowa had already taken a 17-point lead over Connecticut. The Hawkeyes led at least two digits from the rest of the course and won a 91-72 victory in the 2K Empire Classic Championship game at Madison Square Garden.

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This was the Hawkeyes' first tournament title at the beginning of the season on neutral ground since their victory at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico in December 1997. The convincing victory over UConn, combined with the defeat of 77-69 Oregon at night, Thursday 16th, could lead to Iowa (4-0) being ranked for the first time since the end of the 2015-16 season.

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Then UConn coach Dan Hurley said the Hawkeyes looked like a team that could compete in the NCAA tournament. In fact, he joked that he would have much preferred to face Oregon, which received much more pre-season hype than Iowa.

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"They will win a ton of games and have a chance to be a big factor in March," he said of the Hawkeyes.

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Iowa's sophomore center Luka Garza was named MVP of the tournament. He had 22 points on Friday, including 18 in the first period. Tyler Cook, a junior forward, was also part of the all-tournament team. He had 26 points and eight rebounds, a high point in the game.

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Connor McCaffery, who was operated on last December as a result of problems with throat infections and mononucleosis, had the best match of his brief academic career. He scored a career-high 19 points and handled UConn's defensive pressure, making only one lap in 29 minutes.

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"I knew that when he came back this year, he would be really good and do what we wanted him to do," said Fran McCaffery. "He's really smart, he's tough, he's a player, he's always been a winner. He knows and understands what needs to be done in this game. "

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The Hawkeyes were also impressive in defense. UConn, who scored 12-3 points in each of his previous two games, missed his first 12 long-range shots on Friday night and finished 4 of his 26 goals over the arc. Iowa also had a rebound of 43-31.

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"I'm really excited and happy that our guys really have the maturity to stay connected and stay connected," said Fran McCaffery. "You have to be connected on both sides, but I think it's absolutely essential on the defensive side."

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Joe Wieskamp (1 point) and Bohannon (7 points) have won despite the late nights. Bohannon did not score until 10:20 am when he made 1 of 2 free throws following a technical foul against Hurley. Hurley was called for another technical problem at 1:44 and was ejected.

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"The fact that we have been able to enter this environment, play against two very good teams and win two very good wins, I think it says a lot about our growth as a unit," Cook said. "It also indicates where we could be in the future if we continue to work and continue to improve."