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Fran McCaffery gets emotional after Iowa defeats Rutgers for first road victory

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•02/12/25•

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Iowa HC Fran McCaffery
© Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the first time this season, Iowa got a road victory. The Hawkeyes defeated Rutgers 84-73 in Piscataway Wednesday night, ending the drought.

Afterward, during his postgame interview with Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz, Fran McCaffery got emotional. It hasn’t been an easy year for Iowa with multiple key injuries and, of course, the struggles away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

But McCaffery felt the weight of getting over the hump and getting a road win. That’s why his voice cracked after the game.

“There’s times in your career when just, you’re really proud of your team,” McCaffery said. “The way we fought, really impressive.”

Iowa got dealt a tough blow when leading scorer Owen Freeman underwent finger surgery and would miss the rest of the year. Cooper Koch is also out for the year, and McCaffery said his plan is to try for a medical redshirt.

All the while, Iowa put together a 13-10 record entering Wednesday night, including a 4-8 mark in Big Ten play. But the Hawkeyes responded well to snap a three-game skid with six losses in their last seven games, and McCaffery made it clear how proud he was of his group.

“We have had injuries, we’ve had some setbacks,” McCaffery said. “So do other teams. … Other teams have it. But it’s how you respond. How do you respond in practice? How do you respond in meetings? Do you try to carry out the game plan? Do you stay together, do you stay focused? At the end of the day, that’s all we could ever ask.”

Fran McCaffery ‘can’t be any more proud’ of Payton Sandfort

Payton Sandfort had a huge night for Iowa to lead the charge against Rutgers. He had 20 points to go with a team-high six rebounds to help lead the charge, along with Josh Dix and his 26 points.

Sandfort got NBA looks last year, but opted to run it back for another season in Iowa City. To Fran McCaffery, it speaks to the type of person – and player – he is.

“You’re talking about a guy, in a new world, that had an opportunity to go to a two-way,” McCaffery said. “He comes back to lead this team, and you watch him do what he did tonight. You can’t be any more proud of that guy for his character, his leadership. And then, I think as a coach, you always want to see your guys enjoy the journey.

“We talk about the business side of this and the work and NIL, but at some point, you have to enjoy the journey. That’s what it’s all about.”