Iowa men’s basketball notebook: Fran McCaffery on Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Big Ten expansion and NIL

MINNEAPOLIS — Fran McCaffery’s priority when discussing possible Carver-Hawkeye Arena improvements is simple.

“I think we have to improve the fan experience,” the Iowa men’s basketball coach said Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days.

Iowa completed a feasibility study for renovating the 40-year-old arena, interim athletics director Beth Goetz said last week at the university’s monthly Presidential Committee on Athletics meeting.

“I’m talking about the people that come night in and night out, the people that buy tickets — students included,” McCaffery said. “How do we make it a better experience for everybody that buys a ticket to come see us play? Whether it be food court, better parking, more amenities, suites, whatever. I think we have to start focusing on the fans because things have changed.

“On weekends, it’s wonderful. We pack the place. People can come from the Quad Cities, from Waterloo, from Des Moines. They can come from Sioux City. But you’re not doing that on a Tuesday at 8 o’clock.”

Big Ten expansion

The Big Ten men’s basketball schedule stretched to 20 games in 2018-19 and McCaffery expects it to increase again with UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington set to join next year.

“I think it’s inevitable that we’ll play more league games, especially with the ACC challenge going away,” he said.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti told the Star Tribune that “right now” a 20-game schedule is “the plan. But scheduling is a living thing where it's changing all of the time.”

Petitti said he has sought feedback from coaches on the subject.

In terms of extra travel, McCaffery isn’t concerned.

“People are getting obsessed with that, but we’re chartering anyway,” McCaffery said. “Probably isn’t the optimum thing from an academic perspective, but we’re on a charter plane. You can study, you can do some work and you can prepare for the paper that you have due. We’re taking a few two- or three-hour plane trips anyway, so now it’s an extra hour and a half, extra two hours maybe.

“I think we just have to be really smart and cognizant of how we can do the best we can to minimize any team having a disadvantage in terms of how the schedule is handed to them.”

NIL and the transfer portal

McCaffery said he was “really disappointed” when asked about other coaches tampering with players before they enter the transfer portal.

“For six years I was part of the NCAA ethics coalition. There’s nothing being done about it,” McCaffery said. “When you look at how the rules are set up, college kids can sign with agents and they can shop them to other programs. It’s disgraceful. It’s not what NIL was supposed to be. NIL was inevitable. NIL should have come into play many years ago. We should be able to encourage our student-athletes to connect with the business and corporate community, help prepare them for life after basketball. We should have been doing that for a long time. And we didn’t. Now, there are basically no rules.

“You should not be talking to guys on other teams while they’re still playing for that team. That’s what’s going on.”

As far as Iowa’s own NIL structure, McCaffery said “we’re working really hard. We have the support of our administration. We have the support of our collective folks. We have a lot of people that are really trying. We have some incredibly generous donors.

“It’s hard to say, OK, where do we stack up against everybody else? But we’re in the fight.”

The Big Ten’s struggles in March

Any list of Big Ten men’s basketball storylines seems to include NCAA tournament woes. The Big Ten, of course, hasn’t had a national champion since Michigan State in 2000. MSU in 2019 was its last Final Four team.

Iowa hasn’t advanced to the Sweet 16 since 1999.

“Anytime you play in a tournament situation where you lose, you’re out, anything can happen,” McCaffery said. “It’s why the pros play best-of-seven. The best teams advance. You beat a team four times, you’re better than them. Our league gets the most teams in. That’s indicative of how good the league is and how many good players we have.”

Preseason expectations for Iowa

Iowa was picked to finish ninth in the Big Ten by the media. It sounded familiar to fifth-year senior Patrick McCaffery.

“Same thing happens every year,” he said. “We’ve been picked ninth like every year that I’ve been here, except the year that Luka (Garza) came back (2020-21).

“Who cares? Preseason rankings don’t mean anything.”

The funniest player on the team?

We know Iowa will push the tempo. Another identity these Hawkeyes display?

“We have a really funny team,” Patrick McCaffery said.

Patrick, Payton Sandfort and Tony Perkins all voted redshirt sophomore reserve Carter Kingsbury funniest — though Perkins said it was a tie between himself and Kingsbury.

“Little things that he says that are just really fun,” Patrick McCaffery said. “It’s always sarcastic and very dry humor.”

Those comments don’t stop during games.

“He for sure lightens the mood up,” Sandfort said.

“We know how to have fun, but when it’s time to get down to business, we get down to business,” Perkins said.

Sandforts are Iowa’s latest siblings

Iowa developed something of a reputation for featuring brothers together on the court with Connor and Patrick McCaffery and Keegan and Kris Murray.

Now, Pryce Sandfort enters his freshman season with Payton going into his junior year.

“We made it such a common thing that it’s not even cool for me and Pryce, but it’s a really rare thing throughout college basketball,” Payton said. “I think it’s a special opportunity and my family is really excited.”

Pryce averaged 24.9 points for Waukee Northwest last season and was named Iowa Mr. Basketball.

“They’re different players, but both can really shoot with great range,” Fran McCaffery said.

The Sandforts won the 2021 Class 4A state title together at Waukee.

“It’s weird having to try and take care of him sometimes,” Payton said. “I’ll see him in practice miss a shot and I’ll be mad at him, but then I realize he’s on the other team and it was good for us. It’s weird but it’s been a lot of fun so far having him here.”

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