Fran McCaffery's first encounter with Iowa Hawkeye basketball came 40 years ago

If you caught the Iowa men’s basketball game a few weeks ago from the Palestra, you know how closely coach Fran McCaffery’s identity is tied to Philadelphia’s storied basketball past.

He grew up on the north side, but learned the game playing on its inner-city courts and playgrounds. He later played home games at the Palestra for three seasons as a member of the University of Pennsylvania Quakers.

What you might not know is that McCaffery’s earliest exposure to the Hawkeyes also occurred in Philadelphia — 40 years ago during Iowa’s 1980 run to the NCAA Final Four.