By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former Iowa point guard Christian Williams is gone, but certainly not forgotten.

It’s hard to forget about him when the position he left behind is suffering from a lack of proven depth and from a lack of healthy players.

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery delivered some sobering news on a Monday teleconference, saying that his son, 6-foot-5 freshman guard Connor McCaffery, recently spent two days in the hospital while battling the effects from mononucleosis and has lost a substantial amount of weight.

It was previously thought that Connor McCaffery would miss two to three weeks, but this latest setback could delay his comeback to where he might reconsider playing this season.

“The plan is for him to play (this season) but we’ll see how long this period takes,” Fran McCaffery said. “It might take a week. It might take two or three. If it takes two or three, then you re-evaluate at that time.”

Connor McCaffery had originally planned to redshirt in basketball in order to focus on his upcoming freshman season with the Iowa baseball team.

But those plans changed when Williams announced on Oct. 26 that he would transfer after the first semester. The 6-5 Williams has since announced that he will transfer to Indiana State for the spring semester.

Connor McCaffery might be the closest on the team to being a true point guard. But even when he is cleared to play, his stamina will be an issue.

“He’s really behind physically,” Fran McCaffery said of his son. “I don’t think he’s behind in other aspects because he knows what we’re doing and has stayed up to speed.

“He’ll probably be cleared to play sometime at the end of this week and then it’s going to take him awhile. Your body is severely compromised so we’ll see how long it takes him to get back to where physically he can run consistently.”

Williams was expected to be Jordan Bohannon’s backup at point guard this season after playing that role for most of last season.

But without Williams, and with the uncertainty surrounding Connor McCaffery’s return, the situation at point guard is a growing concern heading into Tuesday’s game against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

The game, which starts at 8 p.m., is part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge and will be televised by ESPN2.

It also will be a major step up in competition for the 4-2 Hawkeyes, who lost two of three games last week while competing at the Cayman Islands Classic.

Virginia Tech has a 5-1 record, averages 102 points per game and has five players scoring in double figures. The Hokies have scored 90 points or more in five games, including topping the century mark in three contests. Virginia Tech’s lone setback was a 77-71 decision to Saint Louis in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16.

Iowa also like to push the pace, so it’s reasonable to assume that Bohannon will need some help at point guard. That is especially true on defense where the 6-0 Bohannon has struggled against quicker guards.

The Iowa guards will be tested by Virginia Tech’s quickness and aggressiveness in transition.

“They’re as good a transition team as I’ve seen in a long time, in terms of anybody can take it, anybody can shoot it, anybody can finish it,” Fran McCaffery said. “A lot of slashing teams can’t shoot the ball from the outside. And this is a slashing team that has multiple three-point shooters.”

Junior Brady Ellingson and 6-7 sophomore Maishe Dailey are currently the two backups at point guard, although, both are more suited to play shooting guard.

“It puts Brady in a tough spot,” Fran McCaffery said. “He’s been solid. He was really playing well as a shooting guard and hasn’t had the opportunity to do that yet. I feel bad for him,”

Iowa was expected to receive some good news on Monday with the return of 6-7 junior forward Nicholas Baer. The Big Ten’s reigning Sixth-man of the Year has missed the first six games because of a broken finger.

Junior forward Ahmad Wagner is also expected to play on Tuesday after missing Iowa’s last game because of a shoulder injury.

“I think they’ll go Fran McCafery said of Baer and Wagner. “They haven’t been officially cleared. That will happen today. But I think they’ll go.”

Fran McCaffery said Monday that the 6-7 Baer will come off the bench when he does return. Baer thrived in that role last season.

Wagner and 6-11 freshman Jack Nunge both have seen a lot of action in Baer’s absence, and Fran McCaffery said Monday he will decide whether to keep Nunge in the starting lineup or to make Wagner a starter again.

Baer is arguably Iowa’s most versatile player. The Bettendorf native can play both forward positions and might even see some action at shooting guard this sason.

Baer was the only Division I player last season, and lone Big Ten player over the last 25 seasons, to amass 250 points, 45 steals, 45 3-pointers, and at least 40 blocked shots in a season.

“We need his leadership. He’s really good at practice and in the locker room,” Fran McCaffery said. “I thought he was really good in the Caymans even though he wasn’t playing. But having him back on the floor is obviously better. He can impact the game more and use his leadership on the floor, especially when you go on the road. Guys that have been in those kind of road environments and performed successfully are who you need tomorrow night. So, he’ll be out there a lot.”

As for the situation at point guard, Bohannon still is adjusting to the position after being mostly a shooting guard in high school. The former Linn-Mar star excelled on offense last season and made the Big Ten All-Freshman team. He led Iowa with 175 assists and with 89 3-points baskets last season while averaging 10.9 points per game.

But Bohannon also had Williams as his backup and that helped to offset fatigue.

And when you play against a team that likes to push the pace, as is the case with Virginia Tech, fatigue can be a problem.