Despite a number of injuries, Fran McCaffery's faith in his team has never wavered. That belief and toughness was on display on Friday evening in Iowa's win over nationally ranked Maryland. After a sloppy start, the Hawkeyes caught fire and pulled away in the second half for a convincing victory. McCaffery discusses the standout performance by Joe Wieskamp, how everyone chipped in and found a way to help the Hawkeyes get in the win column, and much more.

Q: What did you see in the first half that allowed you guys to open up a lead towards the end of the first half?

McCAFFERY: I thought our defense was really good. I thought we got some transition opportunities and we moved the ball. I think when you look at this game, our rebounding was really critical. When you play a team that is plus eight on the glass, they pretty much out-rebound everybody they play and we knew we really had to battle them in that area. I think that’s the one stat that sticks out to me.

I think our defense was really key as well. Our activity level, whether it be off the dribble or contesting shots or limiting their second shot opportunities.

Q: Is this kind of what you are going to need moving forward, getting contributions from everybody? Seemed like everyone gave you something tonight.

McCAFFERY: That the way it’s going to have to be. We have a lot of good players left. We have some that aren’t going to be available. The guys that come in are going to have to do what they are capable of doing, compete, and play mistake free basketball.

We made a bunch of mistakes early. I am really proud of Joe Toussaint. He struggled early and came back in the second half and gave us a huge lift. Bakari gave us a huge lift when he was out there. To a man, everyone that played was good and gave us a lift. We ran a play at the end of the first half and I put Riley Till in there because we were in foul trouble and he makes a great feed to Wieskamp and we end the half on a made three. You think about Joe making the shot, but the ball had to be delivered by somebody and it was by Riley Till.

Q: When you have a guy like Wieskamp and he has a game like he did the other night, do you know he’s going to come out and have a night like he did tonight?

McCAFFERY: He usually has nights like this. That’s kind of what we expect and it’s what he expects from himself. He came back and shot it well in practice. I’m sure he got up extra shots too. We are just going to keep going to him.

Q: When Pemsl hit the three pointer, is that a moment that sends a huge surge through the entire team?

McCAFFERY: It did. He’s a guy that the guys respond to in that way. We swung it to him and his defender was on the block and never moved. Then Cordell didn’t hesitate and he just pulled. He swished it and that was a big play in the game.

Q: When you talked to us yesterday, you said no one was going to offer excuses or feel sorry for themselves. The players echoed that and said the same thing. When they play like this, you have to have a lot of pride in that.

McCAFFERY: Tremendous amount of pride in this group. I think more importantly, they have pride in themselves. They recognize, ok, we didn’t shoot it well the other night and there were some things down the stretch in the last four of five possessions where we turned it over. We were in position to win that game, despite shooting 4-33, but we turned it over down the stretch. Tonight I thought we really stayed together, collectively, on defense. It’s a little bit easier in the first half because the defense is in front of the bench, so the bench was really into the game. We were screaming, not just the coaches, but all the players. In the second half, it’s just the five guys that are out there. We can’t coach the defense in the second half. They have to rely on each other and communicate. They are running middle ball screen or four out or posting Smith or overloading or moving Cowan around and trying to take us off the dribble. It was critical that we matched up properly. I think that the maturity that we showed coming into this game, coming back from a tough loss, is really what is impressive.

Q: Who is the leader in that regarding? In flushing it and preparing for a team like this?

McCAFFERY: It’s not one guy. I think if you were to say who are the vocal guys, it’s Connor and Luka. But, Pemsl is going to speak up and Bakari will. Joe (Wieskamp) is quiet, but he just kind of takes care of his business. Joe Toussaint is still learning in that respect, but he has a lot of confidence in himself. I think Ryan Kriener is a guy, as a senior, I think he kind of fills a captains position with Connor and Luka. He has a maturity about him and a real keen intellect when it comes to this game. He has the whole thing figured out. What we are trying to run. What the counters are. What they are trying to do to us and how we have to combat it. He is a guy that is really smart and if you put him out there with Connor, Luka, and some guys that really know what they are doing, at least we can execute and that’s what we did tonight.

Q: Do you find it hard for most players to shake off a 1-10, like Wieskamp was able to do?

McCAFFERY: He doesn’t seem to rattle one way or the other. He didn’t get too down on himself the other night after the game. He kept shooting. I think the thing that was impressive about his game the other night was ok, the jumpers weren’t falling, but he still got 21 points. He drove the ball and got offensive rebound putbacks. And maybe the biggest play of the game if they had any chance was his offensive rebound putback and one that kind of typified who he is. He is just going to keep coming. He’s going to keep shooting and we are going to keep setting him up. Our guys are going to keep looking for him. Like I said, he came back the next day in practice and wore it out.

Q: Wieskamp has scored 70 points in the last three games. It seems like he’s more willing to take on the challenge of leading this team?

McCAFFERY: I think he has to, especially without C.J. We will see with C.J. next week. A lot is going to fall on him and he’s certainly been able to handle it.

Q: What did you say to Toussaint when you took him out? He seemed more settled down when he came back in.

McCAFFERY: I just said, Joe we are going to be coming back to you. Just settled down, stay ready, and you are going to get your chance. Study it. He was really under control when we put him back in and he attacked. You just don’t put your head down and attack against a team like Maryland. You have to wait and then go and that’s what he did and that was what was really impressive about his performance.

Q: Given the weather tonight, what can you say about the crowd you had here?

McCAFFERY: To be honest, when I walked down the tunnel I didn’t expect to see much. A lot of the high school games were cancelled at noon and I didn’t think it would be like this. When you are playing a short bench, you need energy and our crowd provided that for us tonight in a big way and we couldn’t be more thankful.

Q: Early on it looked like Maryland was doing a good job or Luka and Wieskamp. Was it just patience on your teams part and just getting them the ball in spots?

McCAFFERY: I wish I could tell you that it was something I did or some sort of plan. A lot of guys get their shot blocked early like Luka did and then they struggle. Nothing bothers him. He just keeps coming and he will figure it along the way. Maybe he will go to the other side of the rim or something. Joe Wieskamp, he just keeps moving without it. I thought tonight he shot it off the catch, but he also shot it off the dribble. That’s what he has to do. When he’s doing that and when Luka is doing that, then everyone else can settle down and we find way to get them the ball. Our guys locked into that. Those guys need to see it and we need to get it to them.

Q: That corner three off the inbounds play seemed to get Wieskamp going.

McCAFFERY: Yes, we ran a play for him and they killed it and he just popped out to the corner and they went to the next option defensively and he was open. It was a good find.