Boys' hoops notebook: Iowa City West's Connor McCaffery not stressing about uncertain future

IOWA CITY — As a freshman in high school, Connor McCaffery committed to play college basketball for his father, Fran, at the University of Iowa.

But as he begins his senior season at Iowa City West, there is some question as to when and if that might actually happen.

The younger McCaffery is OK with the unknown. Patience is a virtue, after all.

'I'm just kind of waiting to see how everything shakes out,' he said last week. 'It's not really (difficult) because there are multiple things I can do.'

Iowa doesn't have an open scholarship for him next season, at least right now. That could change in the future.

He could still theoretically join the Hawkeyes as a walk-on, of course. There's also the possibility of attending prep school for a year. Former West teammate David DiLeo did that last year and is averaging nine points a game as a freshman at Central Michigan.

'That's more foreign to people here, but almost all of my friends on the East Coast, that's what they do,' McCaffery said. 'It's a year to get stronger, more mature, and get ready for college. It just makes it better. It's something you don't have to do, but it's there.'

Then there is baseball. The sweet-swinging lefty outfielder emerged last season for a West team that finished second in the state in Class 4A, hitting .407 with eight home runs and more walks than strikeouts.

He said he has a good relationship with Iowa Coach Rick Heller and assistant Marty Sutherland, and there is a chance he could end up playing for them. McCaffery has participated in Perfect Game USA leagues and attended a national showcase in Cedar Rapids last spring.

'Honestly, I have never really thought of (baseball) as my second sport,' he said. 'I just think of it as another thing I love to do. It's kind of a seasonal thing. I play basketball now, but I get in the (batting) cage when I can. When baseball season comes around, I'm doing what I can for (basketball) season. I don't really cut either one of them from my life. I try to continue on with both because I like both of them.

'Baseball is something where my sophomore year, I didn't have a great year, so it was kind of like 'Well, I don't know how this will end up for me.' I batted, like, only .290. But this past year, I really perked up and had a really good year.'

McCaffery is averaging 19 points through West's first two games. The Trojans host Dubuque Hempstead on Friday night.

That's the focus right now. We'll all see what happens in the future, whether it's basketball, baseball, both ... when and where.

'I'm just waiting to see what doors open,' McCaffery said.

AROUND THE HOOP

• The bar has been set early, boys. Wapsie Valley guard Paul Rundquist put up 50 points Tuesday night in his team's 89-56 win over Sumner-Fredericksburg. The 5-foot-9 sophomore is the son of the former Maquoketa Valley star of the same name and grandson of Hall of Fame former MV Coach Gordy Rundquist. Paul Rundquist Sr. is head coach at Mount Pleasant.

• Mount Vernon is off to a somewhat surprising 3-0 start thanks in large part to the superb play of Austin Ash. The senior guard has been known as a 3-point shooter in his career but is averaging 24.7 points and 11 rebounds early, despite being only 2 of 11 from beyond the arc. Ash will be a preferred walk-on at Iowa.

• Cedar Falls Valley Lutheran has decided to forfeit the rest of its schedule after playing three games in which the team lost by scores of 92-7, 70-11 and 52-9, the latter ending at halftime. Valley Lutheran had just six players on its roster, including four sophomores and a freshman.