The 15-year Fran McCaffery era was certainly an up-and-down one for the Iowa men’s basketball program, but McCaffery’s teams provided Iowa fans with some of the most exciting moments in recent Hawkeye basketball history.
Here are the top-five wins of the McCaffery era:
5: NIT win over Dayton in 2012
While the 2012 season ended with a pedestrian 18-17 record, it was significant for a number of reasons. First, it was McCaffery’s first winning season in Iowa City, as well as his first postseason appearance. Both occurred in just his second campaign, signaling that a turnaround was well on its way.
The regular season featured many memorable moments for the Hawkeyes, highlighted by a sweep of Wisconsin and a demolition of Indiana at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But the featured victory of the year has to be the National Invitation Tournament win over Dayton.
The second-seeded Flyers would have normally hosted this game, but were forced to travel to Carver due to the NCAA First Four taking place on campus. That certainly benefited Iowa and its fans, who were packed inside Carver-Hawkeye right from the jump and eager to see their Hawkeyes play in the postseason.
Iowa fed off its 15,000 roaring fans and pulled away in the second half for an exciting 84-75 win. The Hawkeyes would fall to Oregon in the next round, but their electric victory energized the fanbase and paved the way for future success in the McCaffery era.
4: Stunning upset of No. 1 Michigan State in 2015
While this game took place in December, the stakes were as hot as ever. Iowa entered the game playing good basketball, but was still looking for a signature victory after blowing a big lead at Iowa State only weeks earlier.
Needless to say, they didn’t miss out on this opportunity. The Hawkeyes were flying out of the gates right from the opening tip, leaving legendary coach Tom Izzo with a befuddled look on the sideline. Mike Gesell chipped in a career-high 25 points, but it was Nicholas Baer, then a walk-on, who made his mark on this game.
Baer finished the night with 11 points and five rebounds, and his hustle and hard work allowed Iowa to come away with a shocking 83-70 win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was the Hawkeyes’ first win over a No. 1 team since a 1999 triumph over UConn in Steve Alford’s first game as Iowa head coach.
Iowa would later climb to as high as No. 3 in the nation that season before ultimately fading down the stretch to conclude the 2015-16 campaign at 22-11. Even still, the win remains a special memory from the McCaffery era.
3: Shocking upset of No. 6 Purdue in 2011
Had this upset not occurred, then every game on this list might not exist. Iowa entered this game with a measly 10-19 record and had won only three games in the Big Ten to that point.
Though the Hawkeyes were far from a good team that season, they did show a little bit of progress in McCaffery’s first season, losing hard-fought games against ranked Wisconsin and Ohio State teams and even knocking off Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans.
A Purdue win and Ohio State loss would allow the Boilermakers to claim a share of the Big Ten regular season title, but Iowa was dead set on not letting that happen. The Hawkeyes had nothing but pride to play for, but outplayed Purdue for all 40 minutes of the contest, winning 67-65.
Fans rushed the floor in celebration, and this victory really seemed to spark the McCaffery era into the successful one that we know today. In fact, Iowa would go on to have only one more losing season under McCaffery and wouldn’t miss out on postseason play or have another losing season again until 2017-18.
2: Top-10 win at Ohio State in 2021
While the 2020-21 season ended on a sour note, this win was probably the most important win of that season. Iowa entered this contest playing pretty good basketball, but an embarrassing midweek loss against No. 3 Michigan gave the Hawkeye faithful little hope of a victory against No. 4 Ohio State in Columbus.
But they must have forgotten that Luka Garza was on the roster. As was his custom that year, the fourth-year center led the Hawkeyes with 24 points and 11 rebounds despite frequently getting double-teamed in the paint.
On the few times those Ohio State double teams worked, Garza would simply pass to third-year guard Joe Wieskamp for open threes. That plan also worked out well, as Weiskamp netted 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting from distance.
Iowa won this game, 73-57, in front of a national television audience on CBS, only the third time the Hawkeyes won on the network under McCaffery. While it was just a regular season win, beating a top-10 team on the road on national TV showed the nation how good that 2021 squad really could be.
Would Iowa have advanced to the Sweet 16 if Oregon had played its first round game against VCU?
Honorable Mentions
Comeback for the ages against Michigan State in 2023
How can this one not be mentioned? It’s not a game that will be remembered for its significance to the program, but it will probably go down as one of, if not the craziest game in Iowa basketball history.
The Hawkeyes and Spartans both entered this game desperate for a win to stay in the NCAA tournament hunt. Though Iowa was playing in front of a sell-out crowd at Carver-Hawkeye, Michigan State simply couldn’t miss from distance, making 73 percent of its attempts.
The Spartans appeared to have the game in hand with seconds left to play, but then it was the Hawkeyes’ turn to connect from three. Though Michigan State made most of its foul shots, a miss opened the door for Iowa to tie the game.
Payton Sandfort would bury that game-tying triple, and the Hawkeyes would steal the win in overtime, 112-106.
Every Iowa “Need A Three” play from the incredible comeback against Michigan State. Hammers, Pistols, Staggers, Flares—they pulled out everything in the final two minutes. pic.twitter.com/s5Vw9gfsdB
— Eric Fawcett (@EricFawcett_) February 25, 2023
Oh, and you can’t forget the epic McCaffery stare down.
Fran McCaffery had a staredown contest with the ref
pic.twitter.com/pErBRlEHxP
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) February 25, 2023
Demolition of Davidson in 2015 NCAA tournament
After the notorious late-season collapse of 2014, not much was expected out of Iowa in 2014-15. The Hawkeyes looked to be heading for another NIT bid, but a six-game winning streak to close the regular season propelled them all the way to a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Iowa would take on Davidson, the No. 10 seed, in the first round. The Hawkeyes entered Seattle’s Key Arena seeking their first NCAA tournament triumph in 14 years, and were determined to continue their strides under McCaffery.
Needless to say, they got it.
Fourth-year forward Aaron White dominated in what would ultimately be his penultimate game in an Iowa uniform, scoring 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Throw in a rare Adam Woodbury dunk, and you’ve got an 83-52 whitewashing on the horizon.
The Hawks would bow out to Gonzaga in the Round of 32, but winning an NCAA tournament game was an important stepping stone for the McCaffery era, even though his teams would only win three more times in the Big Dance during his tenure.
1: 2022 Big Ten Tournament championship
Ask any loyal Iowa basketball fan the highlight of the McCaffery era, and they will likely point to this game. The Hawkeyes had notoriously struggled in the Big Ten Tournament under McCaffery, but this team entered the event on an absolute tear, and continued that momentum into Indianapolis.
Jordan Bohnannon’s dramatic buzzer-beater against Indiana in the semifinals propelled Iowa into this championship game against Purdue, adding even more excitement to this matchup. The Boilermakers won both meetings during the regular season, but it was clear right from the opening tip that they were facing a different Hawkeye team.
The contest was close throughout, but Keegan Murray’s 19 crucial points were enough to carry Iowa across the finish line. The win marked the Hawkeyes’ third Big Ten Tournament title in school history, and is unquestionably the zenith of the McCaffery era.
𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓸, 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓶𝓹𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼!
Your 2022 #B1GMBBall Tournament winners: @IowaHoops pic.twitter.com/Nr9sy41IsS
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 13, 2022
