By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The NCAA Tournament has become so big and powerful that it is now almost impossible to have what is considered a successful season without having participated in it.

There are undoubtedly some Hawkeye fans that will consider the Iowa men’s basketball team’s 2023-24 season a disappointment because Iowa failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five seasons.

Instead, Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeyes had to settle for a spot in the NIT where they lost to Utah 91-82 in the second round this past Sunday in Salt Lake City.

Iowa finished the season with a 19-15 record, including 10-10 in Big Ten play.

The team just couldn’t gain any traction as it never won more than three straight games or lost more than three straight games.

Iowa has won 10 or more Big Ten games in a school record six straight seasons, and in nine of the last 10 seasons.

All five of Iowa’s starters earned All-Big Ten recognition as 6-foot-10 forward Owen Freeman became just the second player in program history to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Senior guard Tony Perkins made second-team All-Big Ten, while junior forward Payton Sandfort made third team.

Sandfort also posted the first triple double in program history, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and three blocks in a win over Penn State.

Iowa also defeated Nebraska by 18 points at home and Wisconsin by two points in overtime at home, and had victories over Michigan State and Northwestern on the road.

Those four teams would go on to make the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa started 0-3 in Big Ten play, and was 6-8 at one point, but never unraveled.

So, the season was far from a failure.

“We got off to a slow start in Big Ten play, but rallied,” Fran McCaffery said. “Had some terrific wins. Our young guys continued to improve. … Really proud of this group and how they stayed connected and stayed positive.”

Iowa had a realistic chance to make the NCAA Tournament before losing to Illinois in the regular-season finale and to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament.

However, that is little consolation to a fan base that hasn’t experienced the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 1999 when Iowa last played in the Sweet 16 a quarter century ago.

Iowa also failed to reach the 20-win mark for the second straight season after a stretch of four 20-win seasons in a row.

Fans are getting restless and impatient over the lack of NCAA Tournament success, and that frustration can cloud their judgment when making a fair assessment of the program.

Because those suggesting or saying that Fran McCaffery should be dismissed as head coach aren’t being fair or reasonable.

Iowa never would fire a head coach that has made the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five seasons, and it would’ve been five of the last six seasons if not for the global pandemic that caused the 2020 NCAA Tournament to be canceled.

Iowa also has 11 Big Ten upper-division finishes in the last 12 seasons.

So again, this talk that Fran McCaffery should be fired is just silly.

But Fran McCaffery also has a challenge on his hands.

Attendance for men’s games is sinking, and failing to make the NCAA Tournament certainly doesn’t help.

The rise of Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women’s basketball team might have something to do with it, but the sagging attendance goes beyond the Clark Effect

In this age of the transfer portal, it’s hard to look ahead to the next season so soon after the current season just ended.

Senior forward Patrick McCaffery announced what appeared to be a farewell statement on Instagram on Monday, while news broke Tuesday afternoon that Perkins has entered the transfer portal.

“Tony has been a great Hawkeye the past four years, playing a key role on three NCAA Tournament teams and winning a Big Ten Tournament title,” Fran McCaffery said in a statement. “Tony has aspirations of continuing his career professionally; we wish him the best moving forward.”

As for Fran McCaffery’s future, he has given no hint that he is considering retiring at the age of 64.

His youngest son, Jack McCaffery is a junior at Iowa City West and a rising star as a 6-9 basketball recruit. However, Jack McCaffery has said that he doesn’t plan to attend Iowa.

Patrick McCaffery’s Hawkeye career has been filled with obstacles, including an ongoing struggle with anxiety issues, but the son of Fran McCaffery went down fighting to the end as Patrick led Iowa with 19 points in the loss at Utah.

He now hopes to plays professional basketball, though he could transfer to another school and use his free Covid year.

Sophomore guard Dasonte Bowen began the season as Iowa’s starting point guard, but he has since entered the transfer portal after a season in which he lost his starting spot after just eight games.

Bowen also suffered an injury that caused him to miss the final nine games of the season.

Graduate transfer forward Ben Krikke also departs after just one season.

Krikke struggled at times, but for the most part, he was a nice addition, averaging in double figures as a scorer throughout the season.

And even though Payton Sandfort struggled in the loss to Utah, making just 1-of-11 field-goal attempts, the 6-foot-7 Waukee native led the team in scoring.

Sophomore guard Josh Dix also lifted his performance to another level, while Iowa’s four freshmen, which in addition to Freeman are 6-8 forward Ladji Dembele, 6-6 guard Pryce Sandfort, who is Payton’s younger brother, and 6-0 point guard Brock Harding, stayed in the rotation throughout the season.

Iowa also will add at least two recruits to next season’s roster as forwards Chris Tadjo, who is from Canada, and Cooper Koch, who is the son of former Iowa player J.R. Koch, already have signed a national letter of intent.

But like every other roster in this age of the portal, Iowa’s roster is fluid and could look different in a month or two.

Harding showed flashes this season, especially as a passer, but his lack of size hurts him at times on defense.

Dembele showed promise as a rebounder, but he needs to develop a more consistent mid-range game, and likewise for Freeman.

Fran McCaffery also needs to hit the portal and add at least one or two pieces, preferably a point guard and a post player.

McCaffery hasn’t relied much on the portal, but Krikke was a nice addition, as was former forward Filip Rebraca.

Iowa also has to play better on defense, which has been an ongoing problem under Fran McCaffery.

His team plays a fast-pace on offense, and while that leads to more shots, it also leads to more shots for the opponent.

The goal of every team is to make the NCAA Tournament, to be a part of March Madness.

Iowa fell short of that goal, and now Fran McCaffery after 14 seasons as the Iowa head coach faces the challenge of getting his team back in the dance, because fair or not, anything less just doesn’t cut it anymore.