By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa sixth-year senior guard Connor McCaffery has been part of a Big Ten championship team, has participated in three NCAA Tournaments, played in 156 games overall and started 78 games.

But he still hasn’t won at Purdue’s Mackey Arena, and he only has more chance to do it on Thursday when Iowa faces the top-ranked Boilermakers and 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey.

“It’s the only place I haven’t won, so, I know that’s like a running thing and I’ve been here a while,” Connor McCaffery said before practice on Tuesday. “But it is a thing among guys who have been around the league for a while, trying to get a road win at every arena.

“So, that’s definitely a goal.”

Purdue holds a 62-22 advantage over Iowa in games played in West Lafayette, Indiana and has won 11 of the last 12 contests over the Hawkeyes inside Mackey Arena. Iowa’s last victory at Mackey Arena came on Jan. 2, 2016 (70-63) when Connor McCaffery was a junior at Iowa City West High School.

Connor McCaffery is now 24 years old and one of the oldest and most experienced players in the Big Ten.

He will be matched against a Purdue backcourt that includes two freshmen starters in point guard Braden Smith and shooting guard Fletcher Loyer.

Smith and Lawyer both have overcome their lack of experience and performed more like seasoned veterans, especially Smith, who is ranked second in the conference in free throw percentage, (29th nationally, 87.5). He is also fourth in the Big Ten in assists (105) and assist/turnover ratio (2.44), and he leads the squad in steals (28).

“Those don’t guys don’t play like freshmen, so I think it starts there,” said Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, who is Connor McCaffery’s father. “You’re seeing more and more veteran teams now with the transfer portal, but if you have really good freshmen, you play them. They’re ready to go.

“Sometimes they’ve got guys ahead of them. We have two really good freshman guards, but they’ve got guys ahead of them, so they’re playing, but they’re not playing probably as much as they would like. I would like to play them more, but the other guys are playing well.”

Connor McCaffery said Tuesday that he hopes to use his experience and veteran gamesmanship to his advantage when facing the Purdue guards.

“Yeah, there’s definitely some tricks, you know, some veteran tendencies,” Connor McCaffery said. “Get away with some fouls here and there that won’t be called that I’ll definitely try to pull.

“But it wouldn’t be the first time guarding 18 year olds.”

Connor McCaffery admitted on Tuesday that he doesn’t really like playing at Mackey Arena, and it’s easy to see why given that Iowa has lost 11 of its last 12 games in that arena.

“I think it’s like the loudest, right,” Connor McCaffery said of Mackey Arena, which has a student section that is almost always full and energized. “It’s the arena that’s the toughest place to play, Mackey.

“When we get there the students are around the block, lined up and ready to sprint in. And the full student section when he come out, the same with Michigan State and a lot of these arenas that we play in, Illinois, the student section is full by the time you’re warming up.”

Connor McCaffery was asked Tuesday if Mackey Arena has a good shooting background.

“I don’t know, I was O for five there last year,” he said. “I would say it’s not too different from any other spot. It’s unique in itself. People are right on top of you. But I feel like every place has their own little flair to it.”

Iowa at full strength: Iowa should be at full strength for Thursday’s game with 6-10 junior center Josh Ogundele now healthy and ready to contribute.

Ogundele has had some of his best moments as a Hawkeye against Purdue, including in last season’s Big Ten championship game in which Iowa prevailed.

His return could help make things easier for senior forward Filip Rebraca, who will be matched against Zach Edey despite being about seven inches shorter.

“He’s a big body and we’re going to need him against Edey because last year I remember he came in for a few possessions againsst Purdue and he got a few stops,” Rebraca said of Ogundele.

Ogundele has only appeared in nine games this season due to a leg injury. His last playing time came in the 93-82 loss to Eastern Illinois on Dec. 21 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa (15-8, 7-5) vs. Purdue (22-2, 11-2)

When: Thursday, 6 p.m.

Where: West Lafayette, Indiana, (Mackey Arena)

TV: ESPN2

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

Series: Purdue holds a 94-78 advantage in the series. The Boilermakers have won six of the last eight in the series. The Boilermakers won both regular season mee! ngs last season, but the Hawkeyes topped Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament championship game in March.
The Boilermakers hold a 62-22 advantage in games played in West Lafayette. Purdue has won 11 of the last 12 contests over the Hawkeyes inside Mackey Arena. Iowa’s last victory at Mackey Arena came on Jan. 2, 2016 (70-63).