Sophomore forward Patrick McCaffery said he played his first two seasons in the Black and Gold like a chicken with its head cut off.

Ahead of the Hawkeyes’ 2021-22 campaign, which tips off Tuesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, McCaffery is feeling a lot more relaxed.

“I’m much more comfortable,” McCaffery told reporters at an Iowa men’s basketball media availability session Monday. “Me playing really hard was a way to counteract that I wasn’t comfortable. Now, I’ve kind of calmed down. I’ve seen it all at this point. I’m excited to keep going. I feel good.” 

The 6-foot-9-inch son of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery scored a game-high 18 points in the Hawkeyes’ Nov. 5 exhibition outing against Slippery Rock. Patrick McCaffery also led Iowa in rebounding versus Slippery Rock, amassing eight boards.

RELATED: New-look Iowa men’s basketball team dominates Slippery Rock in exhibition

Patrick McCaffery redshirted as a freshman at the University of Iowa as he dealt with “residual health issues” related to his 2014 bout with thyroid cancer.

Last season, Patrick McCaffery played in all 31 of Iowa’s games, averaging 5.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest.

Patrick McCaffery enters this season fresh off an ankle injury that he suffered during the summer. He said he missed six weeks of practice with the ailment.

Patrick McCaffery added that, at times, he still feels pain and weakness in his injured ankle.

Fran McCaffery told reporters Monday that Patrick could play a pivotal role in Iowa’s offense this year if he starts converting on more 3-point field goal attempts. Patrick McCaffery only made about 22 percent of his shots from 3-point territory last year.

“In some ways, you could probably say that about everybody,” Fran McCaffery said. “If they’re making threes, it sets up your drive. It creates more space for other players because they’re going to be chasing you more, rather than be in the gap. He’s a good 3-point shooter. He was never a volume 3-point shooter. 

“He was always a scorer,” Fran added. “Even in high school, when he averaged a bunch of points, he made some threes. But he was backcutting and getting out of the break and shooting pull-ups, and leaners, and floaters. He has a knack for being able to make those kinds of shots.”

Per a preseason media poll, Patrick McCaffery and the Hawkeyes are projected to finish fifth in the Big Ten Conference this year. The Hawkeyes lost three of their starters at the end of the 2020-21 season: Center Luka Garza, forward Joe Wieskamp, and guard CJ Fredrick.

Despite all they’ve lost, the Hawkeyes still believe they’ll be better than pundits predict.

“I think we have a really good team,” Fran McCaffery said. “We recognize how tough this league is. But I don’t think anybody in our business, and that’s players and coaches, really put much into that because everybody has got different opinions, and it doesn’t matter. I mean, that’s what people get paid to do, and it can be fun for some folks, but the reality is what’s going to end up happening is what matters.” 

Iowa’s season-opener against Longwood University at Carver-Hawkeye Arena will begin at 9 p.m. Tuesday. Action between the Hawkeyes and Lancers will air live on the Big Ten Network.