Iowa forward Pat McCaffery, son of coach Fran McCaffery, enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra03/27/24

SamraSource

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Pat McCaffery has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, On3 has learned.

McCaffery had played for his father’s Hawkeyes over the course of his collegiate career, but announced he was stepping away from the program for a mental health break during last season’s campaign. He returned to the team shortly after, helping them finish the season at the NIT. He averaged 8.9 points and 2.8 rebounds last season.

Pat McCaffery played high school basketball at West Senior (IA), where he was a four-star prospect as a member of the Class of 2019, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. The On3 Industry Ranking is the industry’s most advanced, complete and unbiased measurement.

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To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Dan Hurley on transfer portal: ‘It shouldn’t be open right now’

UConn basketball head coach Dan Hurley has become the latest college basketball leader to speak against the timing of the NCAA transfer portal

Hurley emphasized the transfer portal should not be open during the NCAA Tournament, especially during one of the most exciting weeks in the sport. The 45-day portal window opened Monday and will close on May 1. 

“It shouldn’t be open right now,” Hurley said. “The fact on Monday, the best week in college basketball, that it’s open, it’s bizarre. It’s led to even more chaos. Listen, if you run a great program and you’re doing things the right way, you serve your players great, it probably doesn’t impact you as much as it impacts others. We’ve been able to hold on to the players that we’ve been desperate to keep and build around those core players on a yearly basis.”

Plenty of coaches in March Madness have been scouting portal talent while preparing for tournament games. 

“I just think the timeline of the portal – I don’t know, man,” he said. “I just think it’s bad for kids. Your college you go to, the staff you play for becomes your network for life. The group of people that will help create opportunities for you for the entirety of your life, your support system. 

“If you play at four or five schools in four or five years, what type of support system – you’re just kind of a mercenary at that point. You have no base in life.”

On3’s Pete Nakos contributed to this article.