Patrick McCaffery to take indefinite leave of absence

Iowa forward Patrick McCaffery announced on Tuesday that he would be stepping away from the men's basketball team immediately and indefinitely, dealing with complications of anxiety issues.

"It's not fair to myself or teammates to be on the court when I am not myself," McCaffery said in his statement. "The anxiety has affected my sleep, appetite and stamina, which has resulted in not having the energy level necessary to compete at my full capabilities. My struggle with anxiety affects every aspect of my well-being and makes it incredibly difficult to function normally."

McCaffery mentioned that his current struggles are unrelated to his previous battle with cancer.

“Patrick is one of the millions of people who battle through anxiety on a daily basis," said his coach and father Fran McCaffery. "It has become more noticeable on and off the court over the past couple weeks. Patrick has the full support of his family, coaches, teammates, and administration as he fights through this. All of us admire his courage and willingness to be open about this struggle and we hope others know that they are not alone. We will be with him every step of the way.”

It's easy to say that McCaffery's absence will be another setback for Iowa, which has been in a freefall since losing to Eastern Illinois on December 21 and currently sits at 8-6 (0-3), well outside of NCAA tourney consideration.

But as McCaffery mentioned, his mental struggles had taken enough of a toll on him as a player that he could not perform as a player to the degree that he or his teammates would need; him still being a part of the rotation and taking up minutes while not mentally healthy was no longer preferable to being absent.

For that reason, fans should recognize that he's making a decision that will not only help with the most important aspect of all of this -- his health and wellbeing -- but will also help the team have five players on the court who are able to prepare to be there.

As for how the rotation will adjust in McCaffery's absence, expect to see more minutes for 6'7" wing Payton Sandfort, even as Sandfort contends with what has been a nightmarish shooting slump (0-19 from the field, 0-10 for three against the Big Ten).

Also, Kris Murray is fortunately back to full production at the 4, so this may also come down to additional minutes for Connor McCaffery and perhaps freshman wing Josh Dix, whose skill set (if not stature) also provides a bit of overlap with what Patrick McCaffery brings.

We wish Patrick the very best as he addresses his anxiety and the problems it has caused him, and we hope his bravery encourages others who may be struggling silently to do the same.