Iowa junior forward Patrick McCaffery is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Hawkeyes program to address anxiety, he announced on Tuesday in a statement. McCaffery, the son of Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, is a 6-foot-9 forward who is third on the team in scoring this season and second in 3-point shooting percentage among players in full-time roles.
"I have been battling anxiety for a while, and recently it has peaked, which has inhibited my preparation and performance on the court," McCaffery said in a statement. "It's not fair to myself or teammates to be on the court when I am not myself. The anxiety has affected my sleep, appetite, and stamina, which has resulted in not having the energy level necessary to compete at my full capabilities."
McCaffery added that his absence "might be two games, it may be four games, it may be more," but he will only return when he is feeling like himself. He added the anxiety was not related to his past cancer battle.