McCaffery adjusts to changing schedule
Fran McCaffery knew when the season started that there was the likelihood that there would be bumps in the road when it came to the schedule. The Hawkeyes hit one of those bumps this week when Michigan State had to postpone their trip to Iowa City due to a Covid-19 outbreak on the Spartans team.
We visited with McCaffery on Friday to discuss the game being postponed and the Northwestern game on Sunday being moved from Monday night to Sunday night, to now a national TV slot on Sunday late morning and how his team has adjusted to the evolving schedule.
Q: What was it like when found out that Thursday’s game was off? Do the players have to slip into a different mindset immediately?
McCAFFERY: Yeah I think so. This one is off and you shift to Northwestern. We continued to practice and have meetings. We worked a lot on ourselves yesterday and today we will turn our focus to Northwestern.
Q: The start time for Sunday has bounced around a bit and I’m guessing that doesn’t impact you guys a whole lot, but what does it mean for the program to be the national game on CBS?
McCAFFERY: I think it’s a great opportunity for our program and we are very happy about it. It’s unfortunate what’s happened to Michigan State and we hope those guys get healthy. We appreciate the opportunity to be on CBS. It was going to be a Monday night game then a Sunday night game and now it’s at 11 am. It’s just a further example of what we talked about earlier, ok, we will show up at that time and play. I think playing on CBS is something that we are proud to have as an opportunity.
Q: A couple of questions about scheduling. Some programs are on pause and the number of games could be unbalanced. Do you have an opinion on whether it’s better to cancel games or maybe scrap the Big Ten Tournament if it means giving everyone the chance to play 20 regular season games? What are your thoughts knowing that maybe you have to make up some games.
McCAFFERY: I said from the beginning that we shouldn’t lock into a date for the tournament because that creates the issues because now you have to squeeze things in on that schedule. I was against that from the beginning and if we have to play it in May or April, then you play it. You get the games in and if you have to go on pause, then you hit pause. The idea being, you play the games.
I would be in favor of playing the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament when they are supposed to be played. If teams have to go on pause due to the restrictions that have been placed them during the time you have, you are going to have to play three in a week or four in seven days. That’s just the way we are going to have to do it if we are hell bent on playing the Final Four when it was scheduled.
There’s not much that I have complained about with regard to those in charge because I think that’s unfair, be it the college presidents, the NCAA, or the athletic directors. All I have campaigned for is flexibility. We have to have flexibility and be able to pivot and in order to do that, you need time. That why in my opinion, the NCAA Tournament and the Final Four should have been to be announced when those games were going to take place. We will get there eventually and the key is to get there and have it. I think we all want the same thing. You saw it in football where they didn’t give themselves any time. That led to all kinds of discussions about how does one team get in playing seven games and another played 12? Valid point.
Q: So if it came to scraping the Big Ten Tournament, would you rather do that and get the full 20 game regular season in or are you better off squeezing them in and getting the tournament in as well?
McCAFFERY: I would squeeze them in and have the tournament.
Q: Looking at Northwestern, Boo Buie hasn’t been able to get going since you guys shut him down. Do you have a thought on why that is?
McCAFFERY: I really don’t. I think the kid is a terrific player. Maybe he didn’t score it as well in the last game, but he still had five assists and no turns. He’s still running the offense and had a big shot late. I still think he’s a big game player and a big shot maker. Those things have a way of equaling out and we will treat him the way we treated him the last time, with total respect.
Q: From a coaching aspect what has this been like, now that you have had a schedule change?
McCAFFERY: To be honest it hasn’t been that different at all until we had one game postponed. It’s really been business as usual. We did have a pause in June, but I don’t think anyone is panicking when you pause in June and you don’t have a game until November. Our day has pretty much been the same as it would have been in any other year.
Q: The release said you were going to work with Michigan State and the Big Ten on getting that game. Also, Nebraska is on pause, have you heard anything on that game yet?
McCAFFERY: We haven’t heard anything on that game yet. For the Michigan State game, we haven’t heard anything yet. I think what you hope is you can come to some sort of agreement that works for both teams.
Q: Is there anything you are opposed to, like say playing Michigan State twice in a week to get that game in?
McCAFFERY: I would rather not, but again you may end up with limited options at some point. It might be something that you don’t like that you would have to do in order to get the games in. I can’t say on one hand, I want to get the games in and then do this. I don’t think you want to be that guy.