Connor McC

[JStandefer]

man I love this guy. He has this team clicking. I think he the one guy making everyone around him better. His passes are being placed in such great position that shooters don’t have to adjust much.

Connor leads the nation in assists to turnover ratio.

He has more steals than turnovers.

And now Connor is hitting 3’s.

I just hope we can stay healthy with our remaining guys and their tanks don’t run empty.

 

[Im4Iowa]

He takes a lot of heat because of his last name, but he provides the stability and toughness many former Iowa teams lacked. If fans are expecting him to score 20 a game, they’ll be disappointed but he does so many things for this team that don’t show up in a box score.

 

[CP84]

He's a good contributor now and if he keeps hitting outside shots with consistency then he'll live up to his top 150 recruit ranking.

ISU fans like to rip on him but I think he's better than anyone on their roster not named Haliburton.

Connor can play 4 positions and is a good passer and rebounder.

 

[perryhawk]

He is a very very important part of this team...a vital piece in their success. As indicated by the OP he does a lot of things very well that make this team operate efficiently on the court.

I think a lot of people get hung up on scoring but that is only a part of Connor's game. He is a utility player on a very high level.

 

[LittleBillDagget]

Love me some CMac. Over-used expression "coach on the floor," but that's what he is, and that's what you need to have.
Teams that lack this sort of heady, glue player to keep others' heads level are doomed to never reach potential.

 

[Chekster1]

Do you think if Nunge doesn't get hurt would Connor have got the opportunity to fill the role he is having success at?

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

As we look across the landscape of this country, we see plenty of evidence of how ignorant and biased people can be. It happens in every aspect of life, and Hawkeye basketball is no exception.

Any objective, fair-minded observer would conclude that Connor is a tremendous asset to this Iowa basketball team. He has the in-your-face attitude that many of us have been hoping to see from the Hawkeyes for years. Without it, you get eaten alive in the Big Ten. Combined with the toughness of Garza, CJF, and Joe T, Connor has helped take the Hawkeyes to the brink of greatness. With any luck, Iowa will sweep these two road games this week, and they'll be that much closer to a memorable season.

And it wouldn't be possible without Connor, even if he never scored a point.

 

[Wango Z Tango]

Nunge is still an unknown at this point. He has had plenty of time to watch and learn but nearly enough playing. At the time of his injury he was still figuring out his game, his role. I will keep hope that next year he fills the Kriener gap and more! With a redshirt and now an injury I'm ready to see what if any he excels at. And don't forget we have a big body who's name I can' pronounce coming in next year also...

 

[owenhawk]

He's a good contributor now and if he keeps hitting outside shots with consistency then he'll live up to his top 150 recruit ranking.

ISU fans like to rip on him but I think he's better than anyone on their roster not named Haliburton.

Connor can play 4 positions and is a good passer and rebounder.

I would argue that like Woodbury, Connor has already lived up to his 150 recruit ranking for all of the intangibles and diverse abilities he brings to the table. We all know he will probably never be a big scorer but he is one of those rare players that impacts a game in many positive ways.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Do you think if Nunge doesn't get hurt would Connor have got the opportunity to fill the role he is having success at?

To a slightly lesser degree, but yes.

I just think Nunge and Kriener are too similar, save for Nunge being more lanky and not having quite the outside shooting touch yet.

 

[SnootHawk]

He can play 1-4 positions and knows where to be and what to do on every play and in every scenario. How many players in the country can do that on a successful team?

 

[blhawk]

I like how this year we have multiple appreciation threads for individual players where in the past player name threads tended to be negative. I doubt we finish significantly better record wise than last yr but there's just a different vibe with this team. They are tough and unselfish and Connor is big part of that. Havent been this excited about Iowa bball in a long time. I'm thankful to Connor and all the guys, especially Luka, for putting in the work, improving, and having the mental focus to overcome departures and injuries and give us a great season. It's gonna be a fun home stretch, bten tourney has great potential

 

[cosmo90]

Do you think if Nunge doesn't get hurt would Connor have got the opportunity to fill the role he is having success at?

I think that Joe T and CJ allow him to play that role. Joe T allows him to play off ball (and Bakari when he comes in to sub) and CJ has strong enough handles and shooting to stretch the D.

Connor isn't free to play the 4 without those guys.

 

[walleye hunter16]

He takes a lot of heat because of his last name, but he provides the stability and toughness many former Iowa teams lacked. If fans are expecting him to score 20 a game, they’ll be disappointed but he does so many things for this team that don’t show up in a box score.

I wouldn't discount his ability to score.
I think he is just doing what the team needs him to at this time.
If Bohannon was on the court with him he would be a lot more free to go get points if he wanted them.

 

[Eternal Return]

I doubt we finish significantly better record wise than last yr but there's just a different vibe with this team.

True, a different vibe. But even with a similar record this team is better. This year's B1G is much, much better than last year's so to be playing with an 8-5 record at this point is impressive. 11 Quad 1 teams? That's ridiculous.

 

[BBHawk]

I like how this year we have multiple appreciation threads for individual players where in the past player name threads tended to be negative. I doubt we finish significantly better record wise than last yr but there's just a different vibe with this team. They are tough and unselfish and Connor is big part of that. Havent been this excited about Iowa bball in a long time. I'm thankful to Connor and all the guys, especially Luka, for putting in the work, improving, and having the mental focus to overcome departures and injuries and give us a great season. It's gonna be a fun home stretch, bten tourney has great potential

True, a different vibe. But even with a similar record this team is better. This year's B1G is much, much better than last year's so to be playing with an 8-5 record at this point is impressive. 11 Quad 1 teams? That's ridiculous.

This year's team is exceeding expectations. We aren't used to that.

 

[TritonHawkeye]

He has had some great feeds to Garza. Really like how he utilizes the bounce pass.

 

[Brok85]

If a Fran coached all time X-Factor team list is ever put together, Connor will be on it.

 

[Suterman]

We talked to Joe Fredrick (CJ's Uncle) today and he was just great. He adores Fran and so does CJ. Said CJ felt at home in Iowa City after an hour. Joe loves Connor's play and is amazed at his versatility. He called him the glue to this team and the template for the "edge" that this team has and plays with.

 

[TouchdownMyPants]

Aaron Craft is where I have landed with my closest comparison. Not the same build and I don’t care to look up the stats, but their games are similar and Iowa State fans despise both of them.

 

[BBHawk]

Aaron Craft is where I have landed with my closest comparison. Not the same build and I don’t care to look up the stats, but their games are similar and Iowa State fans despise both of them.

Maybe for effort, but no where near the skilled flopper.

 

[IamHawkeye]

I wouldn't discount his ability to score.
I think he is just doing what the team needs him to at this time.
If Bohannon was on the court with him he would be a lot more free to go get points if he wanted them.

Is he a lefty?

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

C Mac was an ESPN 4* top 100 player. They were right.

His only real weakness, other than a lack of top end speed, is scoring. He's already improved enough over last season to prevent his defender from becoming a free safety.

Still just in his second playing season. I think the kid is a high BBall IQ gym rat that will improve his offense substantially before next season. His three ball is getting better. He has shown the ability to get into the lane and deeper against guys. Just a little improvement would have larger implications for team success.

I'm betting he does it. Has a nice little left turnaround from about 12-15 feet. Natural progression move coming back off the left shoulder turn-which becomes a fake and a nice little righty hook shot if you're coordinated enough to do it. Think C Mac is the kind of kid to put those pieces, or perhaps something else, into action.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Connor could average 12 ppg without too much effort if he wanted to. He actually needs to be a bit more assertive.

 

[hawkeyeinmo]

Connor could average 12 ppg without too much effort if he wanted to. He actually needs to be a bit more assertive.

Last year he was pretty effective taking a smaller defender to the rim (ALWAYS to his left). Wouldn’t beat them with quickness but just sort of muscle his way in. He hasn’t done that near as much this year and also why he hadn’t gone to the line near as much as last year. Since he now usually has a bigger defender on him he doesn’t do this very often.

 

[Rifler]

Aaron Craft is where I have landed with my closest comparison. Not the same build and I don’t care to look up the stats, but their games are similar and Iowa State fans despise both of them.

Everybody who wasn't a Buckeye hated Aaron Craft,.. and everybody who wasn't a Buckeye wanted Aaron Craft on their team...

 

[BBHawk]

Everybody who wasn't a Buckeye hated Aaron Craft,.. and everybody who wasn't a Buckeye wanted Aaron Craft on their team...

My opinion of Craft is similar to my opinion about Davison. I wouldn't want either on my team.