Bohannon set for return to Cy-Hawk rivalry
The game is Bohannon’s first against the Cyclones since he underwent hip surgery last year.
Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon looks to pass during the Iowa men’s basketball game against the Southern University Jaguars at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. The Hawkeyes defeated the Jaguars 103-76 in their first game against them since 2017.
December 10, 2020
Last season, guard Jordan Bohannon left his shoes on the hardwood at Hilton Coliseum after Iowa’s 84-68 win over Iowa State as a parting gift to the Cyclones. On the right shoe, he wrote, “To ISU: Thanks for the memz,” in permanent marker.
At the time, Bohannon was considering season-ending hip surgery. He’d played 10 games on the season, and another would’ve left him without any NCAA eligibility left if he elected to undergo the surgery. So, the 2019 Cy-Hawk basketball game could’ve been Bohannon’s last.
Ultimately, Bohannon did have surgery, and shut down for the season following the Hawkeyes’ matchup with the Cyclones.
In May, Bohannon’s hardship waiver was approved by the NCAA, meaning he could don the Black and Gold for another season.
Now, the Marion, Iowa, native is headed into the fifth Cy-Hawk showdown of his collegiate career. On Friday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Bohannon will have to face the Cyclones for the first time since he left them his now-infamous goodbye sneakers.
“I’m really excited to play Iowa State,” Bohannon said following Iowa’s 93-80 victory over North Carolina Tuesday night. “I’m glad it’s not in Ames this year because I don’t think I’m allowed back in that city for the rest of my life. I’m excited to play [Iowa State]. This is a game that I look forward to every single year. I’m just really excited to play them.”
At the same meeting with reporters, Bohannon would not reveal the antics he has planned for this year’s game, if any at all.
On top of dropping his shoes on the court and Hilton, Bohannon also blew kisses toward the Cyclone student section at the end of last year’s game.
“It’s funny because I didn’t know much about [Bohannon’s antics],” McCaffery said. “You know, I heard about it later. I think it’s just kind of who he is. It’s kind of what makes him special. I wasn’t really emotional about it one way or the other. I just, I love him.”
Bohannon would eventually regain possession of the shoes and raffle them off – raising $26,469 for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
RELATED: Bohannon kisses Cy-Hawk career goodbye
Now, the shoes reside with Sid Hesse, who lives in nearby Tipton.
Despite his antics, Bohannon and the Hawkeyes’ focus remains trailed on the on-court challenges they’ll face against Iowa State tonight.
“I think [Iowa State] has done a lot of good things,” McCaffery said. “They’ve only played two games, obviously. They’ve got some new guys that are talented. . . They’ve got some good players. In their first game out of the chute, they won that, and then South Dakota State, I thought, played really well against them.”
The Cyclones come to Carver at 1-1 on the season, having defeated Arkansas Pine-Bluff, 80-63, and fallen to the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, 71-68.
The Hawkeyes enter the matchup ranked third in the nation after they blew past each of their first four opponents by double digits.
“It’s been a really good game pretty much every time we’ve played each other,” McCaffery said. “Obviously the crowds are typically outstanding. We’ve had great coverage on television. You know, it’s a rivalry game.”
McCaffery also added that he never felt this year’s Cy-Hawk match was in jeopardy — even though the NCAA was forced to shrink the schedules of its membership because of COVID-19.
“It’s a great game. It’s a great game for college basketball. It’s a great game for college basketball fans in the state,” he said.
The 2020 Cy-Hawk football game went unplayed because of COVID-19 and the Iowa women’s basketball team rallied back from an 18-point deficit to beat the Cyclones, 82-80, Wednesday night.
The 2020 Cy-Hawk men’s basketball game tips off at 8:07 p.m. tonight and will be aired on the Big Ten Network.
