Iowa redshirt junior wing Patrick McCaffery will be taking an indefinite leave to address anxiety, he announced on Tuesday.
Indiana plays Iowa on Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern in Iowa City.
Patrick is the son of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery.
“Patrick is one of the millions of people who battle through anxiety on a daily basis,” Fran said in a release. “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.”
A former 4-star recruit, McCaffery has started all 14 of Iowa’s games and is averaging 12.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest. He struggled the past two games, shooting just 2-of-15 from the field while scoring a combined eight points in losses to Nebraska and Penn State. Iowa has lost three straight and four of five.
When he was 13 McCaffery had thyroid cancer and had two surgeries. He said his anxiety is not related to his previous battle with cancer. But he says his current condition has had an adverse impact on the court
“It’s not fair to myself or teammates to be on the court when I am not myself,” McCaffery said. “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.”
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