Iowa men’s basketball forward Patrick McCaffery is expanding his offensive arsenal and showing improved aggression as the Hawkeyes reach the postseason.

After failing to reach double digits in the scoring column since a home loss against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 21, 2022, McCaffery knocked down five 3-pointers in the first half against Nebraska in a loss.  He entered the halftime break on Senior Day with a game-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting after he converted a four-point play.

The redshirt junior finished with a team-high 23 points, one point shy of a career-high, on 50 percent shooting from the field. He knocked down six of his 10 attempts from behind the arc and pulled down four rebounds as the Hawkeyes fell, 81-77.

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Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg praised McCaffery in his postgame presser.

“Patrick was absolutely unstoppable for us,” Hoiberg said. “A lot of those points [he had] were second-chance points.”

Despite the loss, McCaffery said his performance on Sunday afternoon is a confidence booster after he struggled to return from an extended leave of absence due to anxiety earlier in the season.

“My shot felt good,” McCaffery said. “I hadn’t really been shooting or playing well as of late because it took me a while to get my groove back. I wish we could’ve won today, but I’m not going to say it was all for nothing because it gives me a big confidence boost moving forward.”

The Iowa City West grad currently averages 9.5 points per contest on 39.9 percent shooting this season. Those numbers have dipped after his return, as McCaffery started the season scoring double digits in 10 of Iowa’s first 12 games.

One of the main concerns regarding McCaffery’s absence was his lack of stamina, evidenced by the Iowa coaching staff’s unwillingness to play him for extended minutes during the February slate. McCaffery said that he is now back in ideal playing shape.

“I don’t think I ran out of stamina,” McCaffery said. “My legs aren’t struggling to get back anymore, my wind is okay. I feel a lot better.”

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said his middle son’s breakout performance came as no surprise, citing Patrick’s strong play in recent practice sessions.

“He’s been practicing really well, and he had terrific practices the past two days,” Fran McCaffery said. “We could see it coming, seeing him play with that energy level. He had a big tip-in down the stretch, he hit six threes, and he was aggressive. I’ve been telling him, ‘You’ve got to drive the ball, and you’ve got to shoot your pull-up.’”

The Hawkeyes stand 19-12 on the season as they enter the Big Ten Tournament next week. Patrick McCaffery’s resurgence could be vital as Iowa pursues a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“I’m a confident player,” Patrick McCaffery said. “My coaches and teammates have confidence in me to come in and shoot the ball. It obviously helps when the shots are going in, but I think this game is going to help a lot moving forward. It gave me some of my swagger back.”