Iowa men’s basketball player Patrick McCaffrey is stepping away from the team and taking “an indefinite leave” to address his anxiety.
In a statement on Tuesday, Patrick said that he has anxiety and that it has restrained his “preparation and performance” on the court. The redshirted junior also said it has affected his sleep, appetite and stamina.
“My struggle with anxiety affects every aspect of my well-being and makes it incredibly difficult to function normally,” Patrick said. “This is what I am battling right now. For this reason, I am taking an indefinite leave to address my situation. It might be two games, it may be four games, it may be more, but I will return when I feel like myself. My leave of absence is not related to my past battle with cancer.”
The forward is third on the 8–6 Hawkeyes in scoring and rebounding this season, averaging career-best in points (12.8) and rebounds (4.8) through 14 games.
Fran McCaffery, Iowa’s basketball coach and Patrick’s father, shared that his son has “full support of his family, coaches, teammates and administration” at this time.
“Patrick is one of the millions of people who battle through anxiety on a daily basis,” Fran said. “It has become more noticeable on and off the court over the past couple weeks. … 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.”
