The Iowa Hawkeyes will be playing without one of their key pieces for the time being, with junior forward Patrick McCaffery announcing that he will be away from the team temporarily to deal with anxiety. A cancer survivor, McCaffery also made it clear in his statement that his absence has nothing to do with his previous battle with the disease (via David Eickholt of Hawkeye Insider).
“I have been battling anxiety for a while, 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”
Patrick McCaffery, who is also the son of Iowa basketball head coach Fran McCaffery, is third on the team so far this season with 12.8 points per game. He is also averaging 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per outing while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc.
Patrick McCaffery has scored just eight points total over his last two games played, chipping in only three points in a loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers and five points during a defeat at the hands of the Penn State Nittany Lions.
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