Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, is no stranger to the limelight. The former Iowa Hawkeye basketball player has never failed to show up for those closest to him. Whether it be attending a Caitlin Clark game or watching from the sideline as his brothers carried on their basketball careers, McCaffery has never come up short when it comes to supporting his loved ones. This time, he gave a similar nod to yet another rising star in his life, leaving fans and family gushing over his endearing statement.

On Instagram, leaving a heartwarming story to celebrate his brother Jack McCaffery’s post, Connor shared a story writing, “Proud of you lil bro 🤞🏻❤️.” These five simple words are what Connor uses to express his love towards his brother, Jack, who has been paving his own path in the basketball scene.

And let’s be honest, Connor has the right to be proud. Jack McCaffery isn’t just any high school player. The 6-foot-8 rising star has been ranked as a top-100 player across the country in the class of 2025 and he had been receiving offers from powerhouses like Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Eventually, though, Jack eliminated all other names in favor of Butler, where he’ll be able to play with his older brother Patrick and for a set of coaches who have been dedicated to him.

Jack is the youngest in a family built on basketball. His father, Fran McCaffery, has been the head coach of Iowa for more than a decade. His oldest brother, Connor, played at Iowa before going into coaching at Butler. And Patrick? He’s already made an impact as a player at Butler after transferring earlier this year from Iowa.

Jack McCaffery carving out his own path

While his brothers played for Iowa under their father, Jack took a different path. He wanted to forge his own path out of his family’s shadow — and Butler felt like the perfect place to do so. “They had a coach at every single one of my games this summer,” Jack said in an interview. “I felt like they really wanted me.” That attention mattered.

The McCafferys are a tightly knit family. They’ve been through the ups and downs – wins, losses, transfers – together, and they root for each other at every step. So when Connor published that five-word message on Instagram, he wasn’t just congratulating Jack for committing; he was showing his younger brother that no matter where he goes or what he does, his family is always supporting him.

For Jack, having Connor as his older brother in his corner can’t be understated. Connor knows the academic and athletic balance at the college level — he did it himself as a dual-sport athlete at Iowa. And now, he’ll be able to help Jack more directly as he experiences it, too, as an assistant at Butler.