Transcript
Jock 2 Jock · Fri Feb 2, 2024
Thanks for joining us for the jock to jock podcast where we get a unique look at Iowa men's basketball from a player's perspective.
We'll be joined by Patrick McCaffrey after this from I'm on communications experience the I'm on difference.
It's the jock to jock podcast here on rocketaway.com and wherever he gets your podcast joining me with a unique perspective on the Iowa basketball team.
Patrick McCaffrey, welcome back.
Thanks for having me, Brian.
Good to be here.
How you feeling?
Good.
You know, solid.
Ankle feeling pretty good.
It's getting there.
It was not feeling very good earlier this week, but now it is starting to get to a point where it is, yeah, it's getting there.
I have to imagine the battle, not just for you, but for the rest of the team in the game against Indiana.
Man, that was mentally draining.
It was physically draining all of the above, right?
Yeah, those games are always tough.
Back and forth, we came back.
that they made a run yeah no those games are always are always tough ones to swallow ones you want to have
the uh iowa hoops on instagram did a hell of a job showing how you guys had to travel to waterloo to get to the game previous at michigan um
yeah oh it was nuts like we got on the bus uh and we're sitting there we get to the airport like in cedar rapids and i'm like why aren't we getting off the bus
And Carter Kingsbury is sitting there and he's like, did you not hear?
Cause I got these, I got the Apple headphones for Christmas and like you can't hear anything.
So I'm just like, I was either sleeping or watching something.
I don't remember what I was doing, but Carter's like, did you not hear?
Like we're going to Waterloo.
I'm like, oh God.
So then we have to drive to Waterloo and then we sit there for a while.
And then finally we get on the plane and it was like a whole, it was a whole ordeal.
It was, it was wild.
That was probably the craziest travel story that we've had since I've been here.
That was a wild one.
We had to do a whole bunch of stuff just to get there.
Not often that you're traveling out of the Waterloo Regional Airport, is it?
I didn't even know they had one.
Beyond that, I went to a high school basketball game this week and, you know, I seem to have watched it with a new set of eyes because of what we're doing here together and because I haven't been to a high school game in a while.
What was the last one you attended?
Well, so I go to a lot of high school games to watch my brother.
So I'll go to pretty much... I will go to every game that we don't have a game or that we're in town.
I go to every game.
Because you do what you do, do you not watch it as a civilian anymore or are you analyzing like a coach
would?
Probably like a coach would, but...
I watched my little brother, and I'm trying to help him.
So I kind of watch it in that way for him.
I think it's hard for me to watch a basketball game at any level, just kind of watching the game for fun at this point, because I've played at a high level for a long time.
So you kind of look for things, and you see specific things that are different.
I'm obviously still able to watch games and have fun watching them.
But also you always are watching and try to pick up strategic advantages and all that kind of stuff as well
Do you look at players and I'm not necessarily on your brother's team, but players around and go, huh?
They might have something that could bring them to the level I'm at.
Yeah, you'll watch guys They'll be like, oh like that kid could play somewhere or he could play at he could play division one he could play a power fight whatever right and Definitely there are guys that you can watch and you're like, okay.
Yeah, no like he's
He's pretty good.
Definitely something there with that guy, absolutely.
But there's some that don't realize that just playing high school basketball is not always a ticket to playing in college though, right?
I think there are certain people who realize that.
Like, I played with several guys that like, they just played because they wanted to play.
They had no interest or they play other sports and they want to go to college for other sports, but they play like one of my
High school teammates was Evan Flitz, who was Gatorade player of the year for football in the state of Iowa.
And he ended up going to Pomona.
He was really, really smart, and that's like a high academic division three school in California.
So he went out there to play.
So he was just playing basketball because he liked to play.
And there's a lot of guys like that as well.
I don't think everybody realizes that, but I hope enough guys do that it's tough to play here.
Besides high school, yourself and others have
gone on to club teams and stuff like that.
And that's a whole nother level of play.
Is that the method that a lot of players choose to get noticed, to get recruited for college basketball, do you think?
Yeah, realistically, that's probably the only way.
Not saying that, like, coaches don't watch your high school games because they do.
But that's kind of where, because so at a lot of these tournaments,
because like so there'll be a lot of coaches there because there's a lot of players there's games all day there's a game every hour for from 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m.
so coaches will be at that spot and that's where you get seen then they'll go to your high school games and stuff I think a lot of like junior colleges capitalize on players like that and get guys like you'll see a lot of like uh like Kirkwood or you know DMACC like those type like those coaches
at games for guys that kind of have been under the radar.
Maybe they played AU, but didn't play for a great team where there was a lot of coaches there.
But for the most part, yeah, in order to get noticed on a broad scale, you have to play some level of AU basketball, typically.
When you're at a high school game, somebody recognizes you.
Do they ask you for advice?
Usually they just ask for a picture.
Sometimes they'll ask for advice.
you know, and I'm always more than willing to, you know, sit down and talk to somebody about some stuff like that.
But typically, for the most part, I think people are pretty respectful and understanding that I'm there to watch my brother.
And like, I'm not going to be talking during the game very much unless it's the people direct around because I'm going to be very locked in to watching my brother.
And I try to watch every aspect of what he does
with your eyes as the older brother and watching him as what you've done playing at a high level.
What's his ceiling?
Does he have one?
I always have a hard time, like, predicting how good guys they're gonna be.
But it's more so, like, okay, like, he can, he's a, he's a Division 1 Power 5 player.
Not, not even, like, like he is, just the way he is.
Like, he's, he's big.
He can shoot.
He's becoming more athletic.
He can really pass.
He's very smart.
Block shots he rebounds.
He's tough.
There's certain boxes that they check and there's certain you know ways you can always tell based on how guys are able to move on the floor like That they're just kind of a gear better step ahead of other guys And I think that there's always several guys on a court at a high school game that you can tell like okay, and then there's just kind of levels and so Jack has
He's had a good year so far and every time I've watched him.
He's been he's been really impressive So yeah, there's just I don't I don't know if I put a ceiling on him yet because he's still so young and he's still growing into his body And it's all starting to come together for him So I think I still have to continue to watch and and see where where he could go
if you were His age now playing high school basketball you're taking him on who's winning is it you is it him?
Well, so we're kind of different where he's like He's like a he's a back to the basket post-up player whereas I was more of like a wing I was I was on the I was on the perimeter handling the ball So I don't know how we would have matched up exactly and he's probably like I think right now he's like 200 12215 pounds.
I mean right now I'm like 208 pounds like and and and in high school
I don't think I ever played a high school game above 180 pounds.
So it's just like we're just different players.
I averaged more points.
I'll tell that.
I'll say that.
And I don't know if he's going to be able to break my record at West.
So I'll always be able to hold that over his head.
But
no, we're very different players.
And so it's hard to kind of evaluate.
Last question on this.
If your dad had coached another sport, say football or baseball, would you have gone into that?
Or because of your stature, was it always going to be basketball?
Maybe baseball as a pitcher, but I think just because I'm not a football player.
I love football.
I love watching football.
I'm a football fan, but I'm not a football player.
I'm a tall, skinny kid.
Not really a place for me playing football.
So maybe baseball.
Just like could have been a pitcher or something you see more tall skinny guys at baseball But yeah, no definitely probably would have gravitated towards a sport that you know, you're around more You're around more you you're able to talk about more you understand more It's just easier to talk about basketball and be more understanding of basketball than in his other sports Just because of how he's been how he how long he's been around it.
Yeah with a pregame meal today
Let me know your thoughts and feelings.
This time we're going to Penn State with this particular signature dish.
Like it, you dunk it, it's okay, pass it, it sucks, block it.
You can do this pre-game and you can also choose this in your personal life.
Now, Penn State, it's the pokey sticks.
Two words that instantly make any PSU student excited.
These are delicious munchies from Gumby's Pizza Downtown State College.
Pizza dough smothered in butter and garlic topped with a boatload of mozzarella cheese Basically like breadsticks, but according to Penn State fans way better.
Um So like You know, I'd eat that I'd eat that pregame to not pregame.
No with the with the with the mozzarella No, not pregame.
I would definitely try it though
not pregame, but I would definitely, I would try that and see what was what.
That sounds pretty good.
That's probably the, probably the best thing you've given so far.
Not the poochki from last week, but the pokey sticks, you're all right with it.
Yeah, the poochki, I was not a fan of from what I remember.
The last thing on the pokey sticks, they say they're warm, cheesy, and the experience of eating one is like being hugged.
I mean, yeah, how do you pass
that off?
Who doesn't love being
hot?
That's the reason why they call it Happy Values because they have pokey sticks.
Exactly.
All right.
Double, double dumbass.
I've been on fire.
Three weeks in a row have done very well.
You are currently sitting at 11 out of 20.
Two more stories today.
Your schools are Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois.
The first one.
State congressman introduced a bill that would prevent cops from pulling you over unless you were going 26 miles an hour over the speed limit.
The bill would stop officers from pulling you over for expired plates, defective mirrors, broken headlights, and not wearing a seatbelt.
The congressman, Justin Slaughter, backed off the idea after people tore him apart on social media.
And then he said, well, I just introduced the bill to continue a conversation about people getting pulled over from minor stuff.
This was also in the state capitol where the 16th and 44th presidents started their careers.
That's that's Illinois because Obama.
There you go.
Yep.
Got one so far.
Nice.
Second story.
Truck driver witnessed a theft at a Walmart in St.
Joseph County.
Woman stole an Amish buggy.
Cops knew who she was since she had an interaction with her earlier in the day.
The woman may have been named Beatrice.
I don't know.
was charged with larceny and larceny of livestock.
Horse and buggy were unharmed.
You know, what in the world is going on that you've got an homage buggy at your Walmart, but at the same time, you don't really have a horse alarm like you do with your car, do you?
Yeah.
Why are we stealing that?
Like, like, where are you going?
Like,
you got one to finish it out and have four for four or four weeks in a row where you got both of them.
Which one is it?
So it was either Purdue or Michigan State.
Correct.
Yep.
I don't know.
I think Joseph County is the tip.
I think Joseph County, yep.
The schools were chose on purpose because both of the areas have an Amish community in them.
See, I didn't even know that.
So
that wouldn't have even given it away for me.
I'm going to go.
I'm going to go Indiana.
Going to go with Purdue.
Yeah, final answer.
Final answer.
I'm sorry, not this time.
Dang it.
Michigan State.
It was very close to the Indiana border.
It was within 14 miles, but it was still in the state of Michigan.
Dang it.
You know what they say, all good runs must come to an end.
So now I'm 12 for 22.
12 for 22.
That's about right what I said I was gonna be at right
right.
Yeah, things are looking good And I feel like you continue on this tear you're gonna finish up right about where you said you were going to so
Didn't I say like what like 18 out of 30?
Yeah, something
like yeah, it was yeah, right in that right in that wheelhouse Some tough games big 10 play you say is always tough But what are you looking forward to over the next few?
You know, I think it's good to be back at home our last two games were on the road
You know, playing on the road is fun, but I think, you know, they call it home court advantage for a reason.
You're back at home now, you're just more comfortable.
So two out of our next three at home, that's something to look forward to.
A stretch of games that we need to, you know, kind of get rolling and win.
And three games that I know we're capable of winning.
So, you know, just looking forward to that and just the opportunity to compete, ready to keep it rolling.
Peyton coming off of a game where he had what 26, right?
Yeah, Peyton's been on a heater.
So it's Tony.
Yeah Tony Tony doesn't mess around he's now at what a thousand points plus
Yeah,
yeah,
I think you got
that
in
the Michigan game.
That's not easy to do in division one basketball
No, it's not especially, you know here where most of the games are high level
so yeah no super impressive feat for anybody that scores a thousand points
oh and your friend uh you know kaitlyn who also is now i don't know second in nca women's basketball for scoring every
game she breaks her record
i'm like this is so dumb
every game she passes somebody imagine imagine what she would do if she comes back for her fifth year oh my gosh
She would
destroy
the record.
Everything, everything.
She would destroy it.
And it would never get touched barring another global pandemic.
Oh my gosh, don't put that on us, please.
It would never get touched.
One other thing, we were just talking about Caitlyn.
My friend who lives in Wisconsin, just south of Madison, they've got a high V location and they put up on their Facebook page.
We just got a limited shipment of Caitlyn cereal in Wisconsin.
I don't know
you think it's gonna sell Yeah, I bet it would people just like dude.
She sells out every arena like yeah, it's actually unlike anything I've ever seen I remember they showed like the they show the graphic before every game like average attendance and like attendance tonight and every game it's a sellout and and typically like I remember like at Purdue was average like 4,000 people 15,000 at Rutgers average 2,000 people 8,000 because Rutgers only seats 8,000 so
it's like
It's just the way it is, dude.
People want to watch.
She's arguably, I say, the best women's player in the world.
And when it's all set and done, she could be potentially the best ever if you really break it down that way.
So people want to see that.
And you know what?
I don't blame them.
It's fun, though, to be affiliated with the organization and the school that she is a part of because there's residual.
Excitement for everybody then at that point,
right?
Yeah, it's it's fun watching our women's team But I've been like I've went to pretty much every women's game My whole career here.
Yeah,
I've always been a huge fan of our women's team And so seeing the growth in their crowds and you know kind of their notoriety has been something that's been really cool And I'm excited to watch it keep going moving forward
make sure you go to one of the two of the next three that are at home
See him at Carver the Carver magic grab yourself a Carver cone and tell him Patrick McAfrey yell him out say jock to jock from the Carver stands that'd be great
that'd be sick uh yeah let's do it thanks again for the time
absolutely
