Iowa notes: Fran’s cameo, Clemmons’ reunion

IOWA CITY - A Nissan Infiniti commercial starring Iowa State Coach Fred Hoiberg and featuring a cameo appearance by Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery has drawn widespread laughter and praise, along with more than 185,000 YouTube views in two days.

In the commercial, Hoiberg drives and picks up Pittsburgh Coach Jamie Dixon in a car on their way to the Infiniti Coaches Charity Challenge Dance Off. Hoiberg dances to the Naughty By Nature song 'Hip, Hop Hooray” in a Cardinal-colored, old-fashioned warm-up outfit and a headband. Hoiberg looks to Dixon, who apparently has a case of stage fright, and doesn't walk on stage. At the end of the commercial, McCaffery appears in a yellow outfit, rips off his tearaway pans and says, 'Hoiberg, it's on.”

'Well, they came off easy,” McCaffery said. 'They take you back, it's makeup, black-and-gold stuff. They went with the old-style pants, old-style socks, short shorts. That's what I played in when I played, so it was fine for me.”

McCaffery said Wednesday he flew to Detroit for the commercial a few months ago. It took him about 15 takes, while Hoiberg had to work with a choreographer for more than an hour.

McCaffery's players saw the commercial during a video session well before it was released.

'We were watching film and (assistant coach Kirk) Speraw told Tommy (Massimino, video coordinator), ‘Hit the next clip,' and that pulls up,” Iowa senior Aaron White said. 'We all started laughing. It was funny. That was a while ago. That's hilarious.

'I wish (McCaffery) did what Hoiberg did, the whole dance. It's pretty funny when he pulls off the sweats and stuff.”

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High school reunion

Iowa junior guard Anthony Clemmons joins former high school teammates and current Michigan State Spartans Bryn Forbes and Denzel Valentine on the court Thursday night. It's the first time all three have competed against one another.

Clemmons started Iowa's first 12 games and averages 5.3 points in 20.3 minutes a game. Valentine, a 6-foot-5 forward, has emerged as one of the Big Ten's top players. He puts up 13.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists a night. He's shooting 52.5 percent from 3-point range the last 11 games.

'I would say he's one of the best passers in the country, in my eyes,” Clemmons said. 'His confidence has always been high. He's just a great team player, he gets everybody else involved. He's always been under the radar, so now he's got that going for him. He's just a natural-born leader.”

Forbes, who stands 6-3, has started the last 14 games after transferring from Cleveland State. He averages 10 points and has 33 3-pointers this year.

'All through high school (Forbes) carried us on his back,” Clemmons said. 'If it wasn't me or Denzel, he'd be that other guy that carries us. He's a flat-out great 3-point shooter. I would put my money on him any day if I was to bet. That guy is just a great scorer.”

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