The Basketball Interview with Patrick McCaffery
The top ranked player in the 2019 class, Iowa City West small forward Patrick McCaffery has been making his name known not only across the state, but nationally as well, with Scout.com ranking him the No. 36 player nationally in his class. After an up-and-down freshman year, McCaffery will be moving into the starting lineup full-time now and should make a major impact for the next three years. This is “The Basketball Interview with Patrick McCaffery”.
Q: What is your favorite part of game day at West?
My favorite part of game day at West is how excited everyone is for the game. It is a great atmosphere and everyone is really supportive. It makes the games there a lot of fun.
Q: Who is the most difficult player to defend in the state?
Connor McCaffery and Devontae Lane because they are both really big guards that can also beat you off the dribble and go by you. They can also post just about anyone up on the block and score.
Q: Other than West, which gym is your favorite to play in and why?
My favorite gym to play in besides West is Wells Fargo Arena. It is a great atmosphere that is always filled with the best games. I also love playing there because our main goal is to win three games there and we’ve worked all year to get there.
Q: If you had complete control over the schedule and could put anyone in the state on the schedule, who would you want to play?
Teams that would give us really good games, like Hoover, Waukee, Dowling, Valley, North Scott, Des Moines North, teams like that. I would also try to schedule a lot of out-of-state games because it’s always fun playing kids you don’t see very much and playing in different places.
Q: Who is your favorite basketball player of all-time? Do you model your game after them or any other players?
My favorite player of all-time is LeBron James. I can’t really model my game after him because the things he does athletically are pretty much impossible. I try to play like him, though, in a sense where I can play five positions on the court and really try to lead my team to win. But skill and move wise, I model my game after Kevin Durant. I like his ability to just stop and pull up from almost anywhere and score, but also is quick enough to go by people.
Q: What is the best piece of coaching advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice I have ever received was from my dad (Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery) when he told me to always keep a level head and not get too high after a win or too low after a loss.