IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa junior Patrick McCaffery has announced an indefinite leave of absence from the Hawkeyes basketball team to put his mental health first, according to Iowa men's basketball.
The redshirt junior will be absent from the men's basketball team for an indefinite period as he addresses a struggle with anxiety
McCaffery provided a personal statement, which reads: “I have been battling anxiety for a while, and recently it has peaked, which has inhibited my preparation and performance on the court. 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. My struggle with anxiety affects every aspect of my well-being and makes it incredibly difficult to function normally. 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”
Patrick's father and Iowa men's basketball Coach Fran McCaffery released a joint statement, saying, "Patrick is one of the millions of people who battle through anxiety on a daily basis. It has become more noticeable on and off the court over the past couple weeks. Patrick has the full support of his family, coaches, teammates, and administration as he fights through this. 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."
Patrick was averaging nearly 13 points per game prior to the announcement.
The Iowa Hawkeyes will return to the Carver-Hawkeye Arena court to host Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 5
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