Iowa men’s basketball to honor three seniors before matchup with Northwestern
The Hawkeyes will recognize senior guards Connor McCaffery, Jordan Bohannon, and Austin Ash prior to their game against Northwestern on Monday.
Iowa Guard Jordan Bohannon and Iowa Guard/Forward Connor McCaffery celebrate their first win of the new year after the buzzer went off during the Iowa vs. Rutgers Men’s Basketball game on Jan. 2, 2021. The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 77-75.
February 28, 2022
Iowa men’s basketball will play its final home game of the 2021-22 season Monday night. The Hawkeyes will welcome the 13-14 Northwestern Wildcats to Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7 p.m.
Iowa will also hold a ceremony for its seniors Monday night. Guards Connor McCaffery, Jordan Bohannon, and Austin Ash will all be recognized before tipoff.
Over the course of McCaffery and Ash’s five-year careers, the Hawkeyes have made the NCAA Tournament twice. Iowa is on pace to do so again this season.
The Hawkeyes also appeared to be 2019-20 NCAA Tournament-bound before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the event.
Bohannon and McCaffery have played significant roles in head coach Fran McCaffery’s rotation during their Hawkeye careers — even garnering full-time starting positions, at times. Ash also found ways to contribute to the team, but it wasn’t always on game day.
“A lot of people disrespect him and discredit him because of how he looks,” Connor McCaffery said of Ash. “But he’s crafty and makes ridiculous shots. He’s someone that would play more on a lot of other teams, but he’s always ready and he’s had a great attitude.”
While Connor McCaffery is going through senior day festivities on Monday, he hasn’t determined what his status will be next season. The 23-year-old is permitted to return to the University of Iowa to play basketball in 2021-22, thanks to the free year of eligibility the NCAA gave all its 2020-21 athletes.
Connor McCaffery has fought through a number of injuries during his career in the Black and Gold. Last season, he played through two hip ailments that each required surgery at the end of the year.
Connor McCaffery has also been battling a nagging nerve injury in his elbow in 2021-22.
“At the end of the day, those kinds of setbacks don’t outweigh the feeling of winning on the road or seeing your name on selection Sunday,” McCaffery said. “All these things make it worth it ten times and it’s not even close.”
Bohannon has broken numerous records at Iowa. He set the Big Ten Conference benchmark for career 3-pointers made in 2021-22. To this point, Bohannon has also played more games than any other player in NCAA history.
“They’ve taught me a lot of things, like things to do on the court and ways to move off it,” sophomore guard Tony Perkins said of Iowa’s seniors. “Being around them and letting them guide me through the journey I’m on helps me a lot, and I respect them for that.”
The Hawkeyes will play their last two games of the year on the road against Michigan and Illinois on March 3 and 6, respectively. Both of those games will be televised on FS1.
Monday’s Iowa-Northwestern matchup will air live on the Big Ten Network. Kevin Kugler will handle the play-by-play duties and former Purdue men’s basketball player Robbie Hummel will provide color commentary.
The game will also be available via the Hawkeye Radio Network. On AM 800 KXIC in Iowa City, Gary Dolphin will be in charge of play-by-play and former Hawkeye hooper Bobby Hansen will do color commentary.
