Everything this year is unusual for college basketball teams. It's certainly unusual for the Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeyes as they have been settled into their home away from home in Indianapolis. The Iowa head coach discusses his team this season and why they are good at protecting the ball, his contract extension, and what it's like preparing for the NCAA Tournament in the bubble.

Q: Your team has done a great of sharing and protecting the ball this year. Why do you think that is?

McCAFFERY: I think it’s a lot of things. We start four guards and two point guards. I think it is the character of the individuals involved and their understanding of sharing the ball and moving the ball and it leading to success. They all protect it and they are all good with it moving the ball. They all understand how to feed the post, read screening action and switching action. They are all just good with the ball and know how to move without the ball and get open.

Q: You have plenty of time by yourself this week. How do you use this time as a coach?

McCAFFERY: For most of the time we can meet as a staff. There was just that time when it began when we had two tests. So I had about a day and I had tape on my iPad, so I worked off that in my room. Since then we have been able to meet as a staff and a team. It is pretty much business as usual expect we are not leaving the hotel.

Q: Is it easier in some way as coaches to have this situation?

McCAFFERY: I will say this, it’s not all that much different when we are on the road. When we are here in the NCAA Tournament, it wouldn’t matter that much if we were playing one game because we are in meeting rooms anyway. It’s not like we are walking around sightseeing. I would like it for the players to be able to go outside. Of course the weather hasn’t been great and to be able to get some fresh air and walk around the block. That would be nice. Overall, their time is pretty regimented, but the down time is probably a little more, which they don’t care for, but I think we all recognize that we handle our business this way.

Q: On the contract extension, your thoughts on being in Iowa City and likely seeing all your kids graduate from schools in Iowa City.

McCAFFERY: I feel very blessed and thankful. I have said from the beginning, I take incredible pride in being the Hawkeye coach and I know what that means. I have been very fortunate to work with and for really good people. We look at games and wins and losses, but this is my livelihood and you want to come to work knowing there are people you can count on and people that work every day to make sure our student-athletes have the best possible experience. We are all in this together and we are committed to doing in the right way. We follow the NCAA rules and we recognize how hard it is in this league, which is the best league there is. I think that sums it up professional.

Then there is the family side and you are right, it was a big move for our family to come out here. I knew it would be a good fit for them, but they were young and they didn’t know it. A lot of it fell on Margret. They have had wonderful experiences in this community with their friends at West High, which has been great. Then to have two boys on the team who have grown up around the team and hanging around the players. I think it was very emotional for me when our name came up and it was just us. Typically we would have more people watching that, but it was just players and coaches. To have Connor and Patrick there with their buddies, the best friends, was a tremendous feeling for all of us. We are very thankful how our family was received into the Iowa City community and into the state of Iowa. We will just try to keep working hard and do things the right way.

Q: Grand Canyon has the size to compete with Luka Garza. How do you operate to make sure he gets the shots he needs?

McCAFFERY: He is really good, by the way, and they have more than one. They have really good players and a really good coach. We see that every night in our league. Everyone has a big man. So we try to set and move Luka and in some ways run our offense through him, but we have a good point guard and shooters and other pieces that we try and incorporate. So from that standpoint it’s not going to be that different. We have tremendous respect for Grand Canyon, their personnel and the job that Bryce has done.

Q: Garza has played in the March Madness before, but what will make him thrive this year?

McCAFFERY: He was really good two years ago when we were in the NCAA Tournament. He was tremendous. We ran stuff for him and in many ways, that year was the year he really blossomed. His year started with great trepidation when he had major surgery and we didn’t even know if he would play again that year and he ended up being the MVP in New York at Madison Square Garden. He really had a spectacular season and by the end of the year we were really going to him and that was a foreshadowing of what was to come. He has been on the big stage ever since in our league and he’s been recognized on the national level as a first team All American.

Q: In what ways have the defensive improvement helped with the three point defense? Is that in part to going more man?

McCAFFERY: Yeah I think that’s my more teams don’t play zone, because they are worried about the three. You are going to give up some three point shots, and I think in theory, and in practicality, sometimes even more if you are in zone. So you give someone the responsibility to guard their man and understand team man concepts as it relates to ball screen roll, ball screen roll replace, or any that comes out of that with ball screen continuity. Now it can create three point shooting opportunities, but I think in general you are going to be closer to your man when you play man to man.

Q: Do you get to shoot in the Famer’s Coliseum before the game and do you know when?

McCAFFERY: I don’t, but I am sure we will. We are pretty much confined to the courts that are set up in the convention center that we can walk to. It’s really an amazing setup. We have a full weight room with a court for two hours. The guys are anxious to get in there and just want to get some shots up. Eventually we will get over there.