Iowa’s Kenny Arnold Classic is latest way of Fran McCaffery’s program honoring ‘very proud tradition’

IOWA CITY — When Kirk Speraw was on the Iowa men’s basketball staff, the Hawkeyes had someone who was close to former Hawkeye standout Kenny Arnold and “that whole situation.”

“He talked to the team about it when we invited Kenny back when he was still alive, and he got really emotional about it,” head coach Fran McCaffery said. “You could see how he remained, as did everyone else, connected to Kenny.”

Speraw has been retired since 2022, but the Hawkeyes have a new connection to Arnold — the late Hawkeye great from the Lute Olson era — as Iowa holds the first-ever Kenny Arnold Classic this week.

Iowa’s games against Texas A&M Commerce, Southern and South Dakota are part of the Kenny Arnold Classic. The three opponents also will play each other on their respective campuses as part of the four-team tournament.

McCaffery said the idea for the Kenny Arnold Classic started with Iowa’s decision to host its own nonconference tournament (or what the NCAA refers to as a multi-team event or “MTE”).

“Once we decided to do this, we talked about sponsorships and who we would recognize and could think of no one better than Kenny,” McCaffery said. “We talked about it, and it was very much appreciated by the guys that were on that team.”

Arnold led Iowa’s 1980 Final Four team in total points and assists despite playing with a broken thumb. A three-year starter, Arnold finished his Hawkeye career with

He died in 2019 at age 59 after battled myriad health issues for more than three decades, including a brain tumor and several strokes.

“One of the greatest examples of brotherhood that I’ve ever seen is how his teammates cared for him for 30 years,” McCaffery said. “In particular, Mike Henry, but many others as well.”

His teammates will be in Iowa City for a reception on Sunday, McCaffery said. The tournament — taking place this week and next week — is not the only way that McCaffery’s program has honored Arnold’s legacy.

Iowa incorporated the Kenny Arnold Spirit Award in 2017, which goes to the Iowa player who “exemplifies Arnold’s spirit of leadership, character, courage, determination and poise.” (Josh Dix and Ben Krikke won the award last year.) Arnold joins the late Chris Street as the two former players to have end-of-season team awards named in their honor.

“We continue to engage our former players and make sure that these guys remember those who came before,” McCaffery said. “Because as you all know, there were some great players, some great coaches, very, very proud tradition, going back many years.”

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