Iowa men’s basketball player Patrick McCaffery takes leave of absence to address anxiety

Iowa men’s basketball junior forward Patrick McCaffery announced Tuesday he is taking an indefinite leave of absence to address anxiety.

“I have been battling anxiety for a while,” he said in a statement, “and recently it has peaked, which has inhibited my preparation and performance on the court.

“It’s not fair to myself or teammates to be on the court when I am not myself. The anxiety has affected my sleep, appetite, and stamina, which has resulted in not having the energy level necessary to compete at my full capabilities. My struggle with anxiety affects every aspect of my well-being and makes it incredibly difficult to function normally.

“This is what I am battling right now. For this reason, I am taking an indefinite leave to address my situation. It might be two games, it may be four games, it may be more, but I will return when I feel like myself. My leave of absence is not related to my past battle with cancer.”

McCaffery’s father and head coach, Fran McCaffery, said “Patrick is one of the millions of people who battle through anxiety on a daily basis. It has become more noticeable on and off the court over the past couple weeks.

“Patrick has the full support of his family, coaches, teammates, and administration as he fights through this. All of us admire his courage and willingness to be open about this struggle and we hope others know that they are not alone. We will be with him every step of the way.”

McCaffery is Iowa’s third-leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points. He is one of two Hawkeyes to start all 14 of the Hawkeyes’ games to date. Iowa plays No. 15 Indiana in Iowa City Thursday night.

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