Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball

Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said Thursday that his second-leading scorer, Anthony Tucker, will rejoin the team. 

What he didn't say was when.

"I anticipate him back," Lickliter told reporters. "I just don’t have a timeline."

Tucker was arrested for public intoxication in Iowa City in the early morning hours of Dec. 20 when Police responded to a 911 call at an apartment complex.  On Monday, Tucker pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday and a paid $195 fine.

He also faces discipline from the university.  The sophomore faces an alcohol assessment, and 30 hours of community service, according to the school’s student-athlete code of conduct.

This is not the first time Tucker has been in trouble with the law. Last December, he faced a similar charge after he was found passed out in the alley behind a bar in Iowa City in the dead of winter.

He was subsequently suspended from the team for several games.

Tucker played in just 14 games last season, missing time after his suspension because of an illness and academically ineligible for the second semester.

He was averaging almost 12 points a game before the incident, and was leading the Hawkeyes with 30 3-pointers on the season.

"He's eligible to come back to school, and it looks like that's what's going to happen.  Then we're going to evaluate and move forward as we can. There will obviously be some criteria for him to become re-established."

The second semester at Iowa begins Jan. 19. The Hawkeyes have five games before then, with their next game against Minnesota Golden Gophers on Jan. 2. 

"I'm going to make sure I cover everything according to the institution, the department and all," Lickliter said. "You obviously have to follow the protocol of the institution."

The Hawkeyes are 1-1 since Tucker's suspension.

Big Ten basketball begins conference action today, but unfortunately, the conference's football bowl games might overshadow a lot of great match-ups.

The league won the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and appeared to be stronger this year than they have in the recent past. Teams have only played a dozen games against uneven competition, so there are still a few unanswered questions for teams.

There have been a few surprises, like the great early-season play by Northwestern, but there have also been some disappointments, like Ohio State's Evan Turner breaking bones in his back.  

As conference play begins, teams look to fully establish their identities.  

Purdue vs Iowa
When : Tuesday, 7:05 PM EST
Where : Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA.
What Channel : Big Ten Network

Iowa will have its hands full with their Big Ten opener this season when the fourth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (11-0) come to Iowa City to play the struggling Hawkeyes (5-7).  The Hawkeyes are a far cry away from the 10-3 mark they had entering Big Ten play last year, but they look to cash in on recent momentum.

"Big Ten's coming, it's coming full force. There's no time to take off," proclaimed Iowa's Jarryd Cole to an Iowa newspaper. 

Iowa went 5-4 at home in the Big Ten last season, but will have a hard time topping that mark this year. The Hawkeyes will be playing without Anthony Tucker, who was suspended indefinitely following an incident with a cabbie. Sophomore Matt Gatens and freshman Cully Payne will pick up the slack.

The Boilermakers will use their tough defense and leave-leading tournover margin to to make it three straight victories over the Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Penn State vs Minnesota
When : Tuesday, 9:00 PM EST
Where : Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN
What Channel : ESPN2

Penn State (8-4) has won its last three Big Ten season openers, but will be looking for just their second win in 17 tries against Minnesota (9-3). The Golden Gophers are 8-0 at home this season and look to continue that streak.

The Nittany Lions are coming off back-to-back wins over smaller schools, but shot better than 53 percent in each game. The Gophers are averaging 80 points a game and are shooting almost 50 percent from the floor on the year.

Northwestern vs Illinois
When : Wednesday, 9:00 PM EST
Where : Assembly Hall in Champaign, IL
What Channel: BTN

Northwestern (10-1) moved into the No. 25 spot in the most recent polls, their first appearance since January 1969.  Ranked for the first time in 41 years, the Wildcats look to record their first 10-game winning streak in nearly eight decades when they open their Big Ten schedule with a visit to Illinois (8-4).

But, they've lost 10 straight to the Illini and have dropped their last seven in Champaign by an average of almost 23 points. The Wildcats have also lost three straight conference openers.

Illinois is coming off two straight losing efforts, falling to Georgia and Missouri.

Michigan vs Indiana
When : Thursday, 12:00 PM EST
Where : Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
What Channel : ESPN2

Michigan (6-5) will be looking for its first road win of the year when they head to Bloomington to face Indiana (6-6) and they will be doing so without associate head coach Jerry Dunn, who is taking a leave of absence to deal with family matters.

The Wolverines will need another big game from Manny Harris, who is averaging 20.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists a game this year.

Hoosier's freshman Maurice Creek would have been a key factor in this game, but he will be out with injury. He is averaging 17.6 points a game and is shooting 53 percent from the floor and will be missed.

Ohio State vs Wisconsin
When : Thursday, 2:00 PM EST
Where : Kohl Center in Madison, WI
What Channel : ESPN2

No. 15 Ohio State (10-2) will start their Big Ten schedule against No. 23 Wisconsin (10-2) without Evan Turner. Before the injury, he was averaging 20.6 points and 12.9 rebounds a game. 

The Badgers look to celebrate New Year's Eve with a victory over the Buckeyes and will look to Trevon Hughes and Jon Leuer to carry the offense.

Michigan State vs Northwestern
When : Saturday, 6:30 PM EST
Where : Welsh-Ryan Arena in Champaign, IL
What Channel : BTN

Michigan State (9-3), the defending Big Ten champion, will be looking for its first consecutive conference championship since 2001, as it enters conference play at Northwestern (10-1). 

The Spartans have been having trouble lately with top-tier opponents, but head into conference action looking to repeat last years success. But they will have to do so on the road against a tough Wildcats team having their best year in over 40 years.

All three of Michigan State's losses have come on the road.

The world of college football was in utter shock when Urban Meyer suddenly decided to step aside for awhile as Florida Gators head coach.

Urgent health concerns were the reason cited for his unexpected departure. 

It has been reported that Meyer suffered chest pains following the loss to Alabama that sent him to the hospital.  In addition, Sports Illustrated reported earlier this month that Meyer also suffers from an arachnoid cyst that was discovered on his brain in 1998. 

Todd Lickliter might know a little something about what's going through the mind of Meyer right now. 

Lickliter, head coach for the Iowa men's basketball team, was recently hospitalized due to a tear in his carotid artery.  He underwent a medical procedure to have a stent inserted.

"I was having headaches when we were in Kansas City," Lickliter explained in a radio interview after the procedure. "It turned out to be the beginning of a tear."

Undoubtedly, he ran a similar mental gauntlet about what was best for his family, just like Urban Meyer has been doing the past week.

The internal carotid artery is a major artery in the head and neck that helps supply blood to the brain.  Spontaneous tears are sometimes caused by stress, and have been known to cause strokes in middle-aged men.  That is a cause for concern in most family men like Lickliter.

The medical circumstances might be different for the two head coaches, but the thought process is the same; what's best for the family and team?

Lickliter, 54, is married with three sons.  After consulting with his family and physicians at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Lickliter took a short break from his duties to recover.  He missed three games following is procedure.

Meyer's health issues appear to be more serious, though.  Some news outlets have gone so far as to report Meyer recently suffering a mild heart attack. 

He initially resigned from his position before reconsidering the next day and instead taking a leave of absence.  He will step away from his responsibilities as head coach for an undetermined amount of time following Florida's bowl game to focus on his family and his health.

Being a head coach is a stressful job, and comes with pressure from all angles.  Adding in health concerns doesn't make stress any easier to deal with.

Apparently, coaching a major college sports program these days isn't as glamorous as it may seem.

Just ask Urban Meyer and Todd Lickliter.

Reggie Evans was a rebounding machine at Iowa.

In 2001, Evans led the nation in free throws attempted, free throws made, and double-doubles.  He also set an Iowa single-season record for rebounds, pulling down 416.

His 378 rebounds in 2002 ranks as the third highest single season total on record at Iowa.

The 6'8'' Evans led the Big Ten Conference in rebounding in 2001 and 2002 and was named Second Team All-Big Ten in 2002.

The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Conference Tournament in 2001, due in large part to the outstanding play of Evans.  Evans was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP and set Big Ten Tournament records for free throws, free throw attempts, and rebounds, both for a single game and the entire tournament.

He holds the Big Ten Tournament career record with 95 rebounds in eight games over two seasons.

Calling him a basketball ninja would be an understatement.

Evans entered Iowa as a junior college transfer out of Kansas, and he quickly made his presence known.  He became just the fourth player in Iowa basketball history to reach 1,000 points in just two years.

He was awarded the team MVP title both of his years at Iowa and was Honorable Mention All-American in 2001 and 2002.

The aggressive play of Evans even earned him a selection to a USA Basketball World Championship team that earned a Gold medal at the FIBA World Championships in 2001.

Evans liked to say that big time players make big time plays.  He proved to live up to his mantra.

There is no question that Reggie Evans will go down as one of the best players in Iowa basketball history, and will be remembered by fans for more decades to come.

As I approached Carver Hawkeye by car, I thought my GPS had perhaps led me astray. The building looks like it may be the art building or perhaps a performing arts center. It certainly doesn’t look big enough to house a 15,000+ seat stadium.  What you’ll find is a pleasant surprise indeed.

FANFARE Score: 23 (out of 35)

F ood and Beverage: 2

I didn’t find anything unique inside Carver Hawkeye.  I did appreciate that I was able to bring home a souvenir cup.  I had some pizza and some popcorn—nothing to write home about.

A tmosphere: 4

When I entered the arena, I was immediately happy. First of all, there are exits completely surrounding the corridor for easy entrance and exit. The court is dug into the ground with 42 rows rising from courtside. The other unique feature of Carver Hawkeye is that there is no center court scoreboard. Instead, there are large scoreboards at each end. The result is a feeling of openness that is not found at any other Big Ten arena. It feels simple, and it feels right.

The bottom line is that there is truly not a bad seat in the house. I sat in the 36th row, right at center court, and I would be perfectly content if those were my season tickets at Carver.

N eighborhood: 3

As for food and drink reviews for before or after games, I would definitely recommend heading downtown towards the Old Capitol for the bars and restaurants rather than the relatively closer Highway 6 establishments.

I especially liked Shorts, where they have a variety of burgers, all made from 100 percent Iowa beef (I always appreciate local products). They had good fries as well, and overall the menu was very appealing. The beer selection was fine but not great, and the place is a little small, although it seemed as though there would be room right up to game time.

I also recommend the Airliner bar—excellent pizza with a nice crisp crust. They sell slices as well in case you don’t want a whole pizza. My third stop was 808, which I would go back to if I was just drinking and I wanted good beers; they had the best selection of the three with several local options, although I tried the Bare Knuckles Stout.

F ans: 4

For my appraisal of the fans there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that many of the fans are seemingly more intelligent in their basketball than some others I have seen. They were also very ardent, standing at several junctures where I think lesser fans would have sat and applauded. This may be due in part to the fact that Iowa is the only state of the Big Ten without a professional sports team, causing Iowa’s fans to put more proverbial eggs in the Hawkeye basket.

Now the bad news—the student section was absolutely the weakest of the student sections that I’ve seen. Part of it is the seating alignment; they are very spread out and not in large numbers in any one location. I will say that the pep band did their best, and the tuba players were especially active, but all said this student body needs to get it together. Granted, Iowa has been bad for a few years, but that’s where real fans show their metal.

A ccess: 4

After confirming with an attendant that I was in fact in the right place, I headed up the hill to the public lot, about 1/2 mile away. Parking cost $5 and I was glad that I chose to not park at the nearby Vine Tavern and Eatery, a popular place a little further down the road that charged $10 to park during the game.

R eturn on Investment: 4

I look forward to a return visit to Iowa City.  It’s a great venue, a nice town, and its priced right.  For $25 you get a great seat with an unobstructed view.

E xtra Points: 2

One extra point for the deep pit that is Carver Hawkeye Arena.  I really like entering the arena at the very top of a building that appears to only be a couple of stories high from the outside.

An extra point for the power of the non-student section fans, who were a very basketball-intelligent bunch, as well as being fan-friendly.

Paul Swaney is the co-founder of Stadium Journey , where this article was originally posted.

Things just went from bad to worse for the Iowa men's basketball team.

According to police reports, starting guard Anthony Tucker was arrested for public intoxication in Iowa City early Sunday morning. Police responded to a 911 call at an apartment complex concerning a dispute about cab fare.

Tucker is only 20 years old, and not legally allowed to drink in the state of Iowa.

The report claims that someone attempted to assault the cab driver, but doesn't mention whether it was Tucker or another individual.

This is not the first time Tucker has been in trouble with the law. Last December, he faced a similar charge after he was found passed out in the alley behind a bar in Iowa City. He was subsequently suspended from the team for several games.

After Iowa's win over the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday, Tucker denied recent rumors floating around about the possibility of a transfer. In an interview after the game, Tucker told reporters that he is often wrongly perceived because he rarely shows any emotion on the court.

Off the court, that emotional display appears to rear its ugly head.

It is unclear what action coach Todd Lickliter will take regarding this matter.  Suspension is definite, but as this is Tucker's second arrest in a little over a year, disciplinary action might be elevated. 

If his recent Facebook status is any indication ("Im outta here"), he is likely off the team.

Tucker has started all 11 games for the Hawkeyes this season. He is second on the team in scoring, averaging almost 12 points per game.

Losing one-fifth of its total offense heading into the Big 10 season doesn't make things any easier for the young Hawkeye squad.

UPDATE:  Anthony Tucker has been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team following his arrest Sunday morning for public intoxication.  Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta confirmed the suspension Sunday afternoon.

Todd Lickliter didn't appear to enjoy his first press conference back after his surgical procedure.

It might have had something to do with the first few questions he fielded.

One reporter asked , "There was a posting on a message board yesterday that a few of your current players were contemplating transferring. Has any of your guys talked to you about that?"

It was bound to come up sooner or later this season, but the timing could have been a little better.  Lickliter really didn't deserve being blindsided with that question right after major surgery.

Some reporters don't let major health issues get in the way of juicy rumors.  And the more Iowa keeps losing games, the more the rumors will intensify.  

It is no secret that during Lickliter's time in Iowa City, the attrition rate has sky-rocketed.  Tyler Smith, Jake Kelly, Jeff Peterson, David Palmer, and Tony Freeman have all transferred away from the program in the last two years and most are now enjoying mild success at other schools.

No one said cleaning up after Steve Alford would be easy, but it's safe to say few pictured things the way they are now.

Alford, however, is enjoying life after Iowa, much to many Iowan's dismay.  Alford's undefeated Lobo's are ranked No. 19 in the nation and appear to be headed to the NCAA tournament.

Note: typing those last two sentences was like pouring acid on my eyelids.

With the Hawkeyes off to one of the worst starts in school history this year, the transfer rumors were inevitable.  They showed up a little earlier than expected, though.

Forum threads began to surface Tuesday on two of the major fan sites, Hawkeye Nation and Hawkeye Lounge, about the rumors floating around.   The rumors involved as many as three Hawkeye players (Tucker, Fuller, and Brommer) transferring, with the possibility of those coming at semester's end.

Is there any truth to the current rumors? 

As of now, the rumors are just that: rumors.  Transfers happen at every school, especially after a coaching change.  Add in a few losing seasons, and transfer talk really heats up.

Regardless of the rumors, Hawkeyes fans need to show the team and the coach support.  Fans need to show this young team that Iowa is worth fighting for and sticking with.

Should the rumors prove true, then some tough questions will need to be addressed. 

Are players transfering as the result of legitimate life issues or are they the result of the Lickliter program?

Follow @iowahawkeyes and @BR_CollegeBBall on Twitter for more Iowa Hawkeye Basketball updates.

To say that Iowa basketball has been painful to watch this year would be an understatement. 

The Hawkeyes are off to one of the worst starts in school history and have lost their last 13 games on the road.  Their three wins on the season were far-from-impressive performances over teams nobody has heard of.

Things aren't getting any better, either.  The terrible chain of events this week has been like rubbing salt in an open wound.

In the span of the past week, the team lost to in-state rival Northern Iowa, then were stranded in a hotel by a blizzard for two days before being beat down by in-state rival Iowa State, all while their head coach recovered from emergency surgery.

Hollywood couldn't script drama like this if it tried.

The dreadful week started last Saturday, when doctors performed surgery on Todd Lickliter to place a stent inside his carotid artery to repair a tear.  Lickliter is expected to make a quick and full recovery, and should be back in action next week, but it was a scare him and the young team could have done without.

It scared Andrew Brommer so bad that he was only able to play 10 minutes against Prairie View A&M before fouling out.

On Tuesday, the Hawkeyes traveled north to play Northern Iowa of the Missouri Valley Conference.  They lost by a depressing 17 points to the Panthers, 67-50.

The players were forced to wallow in the defeat while stuck in a Holiday Inn in Cedar Falls, the result of one of the worst near-blizzards Iowa has seen in the last 50 years.  Without being able to travel, practice drills and watching game tapes were a challenge.

That meant limited preparation for the annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series match-up at Hilton Coliseum against Iowa State.

Subsequently, the Cyclones crushed the Hawkeyes in an 81-71 loss, with probable All-American Craig Brackins scoring 28 points in the dominating performance.  Iowa State shot 58 percent and had 16 assists.

As a Hawkeye fan, losing to Iowa State is never a good thing.  Losing to them badly, after already having lost badly to another instate rival, is just downright depressing.

Rebuilding a basketball program from the ground up is never easy.  Hopefully fans have patience and don't lose their faith. 

For anyone trying to look for a silver lining on the week, senior Devon Bawinkel attempted and made the first free throw of his Hawkeye career . 

Congratulations, Devon, it only took three-and-a-half years to make it to the free throw line.

The Hawkeyes, with Coach Lickliter, return to action at home against another in-state rival, Drake, on Dec. 19.

Iowa men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter was released from University of Iowa Hospital on Tuesday, three days after being hospitalized to repair a tear in his carotid artery.

Coach Lickliter, 54, underwent a medical procedure to have a stent inserted last Saturday before Iowa's home game. 

The recovery from surgery will prevent him from coaching at least through the end of this week. His wife and sons have been with him during his recovery.

Lickliter made comments Tuesday night on the Hawkeye Sports Network before Iowa's game against Northern Iowa. It is the first time he has made public comments since his procedure.

"I was having headaches when we were in Kansas City," Lickliter said in a radio interview. "It turned out to be the beginning of a tear in carotid artery."

The internal carotid artery is a major artery in the head and neck that helps supply blood to the brain.

The cause of the tear is still unknown. Stress could be a contributing factor. 

Spontaneous carotid artery tears have been known to cause strokes in middle-aged men.

The procedure has forced Lickliter to miss two games already, and it's very doubtful he will return to coaching for Friday's game in Ames against the Iowa State Cyclones.

Iowa's assistant coach, Chad Walthall, has filled in as head coach. Walthall led the Hawkeyes to a win over Prairie View A&M, but lost to Northern Iowa on the road.

The Hawkeyes are 1-1 in Lickliter's absence.

UPDATE: Coach Lickliter hopes to receive medical clearance to return to the bench next week.  He will miss his third game when the Iowa plays Iowa State on Friday. The Hawkeyes then have a week off for semester exams before returning to action against Drake on Dec. 19.

Shooting 3-of-20 from behind the arch might doom most basketball teams, but not Todd Lickliter's Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa defeated the North Carolina Central Eagles on Saturday in Carver Hawkeye Arena, en route to just their second win of the season. 

After a slow start, the Hawkeyes overcame bad three-point shooting with a balanced attack and the dominant inside play of junior forward Jarryd Cole.

Cole scored a career-high 24 points, missing only three of his 13 field-goal attempts. He came into Saturday's match averaging just over seven points a game.

Cole also led Iowa in rebounds with 10, demonstrating that he has fully recovered from the knee injury that forced him to miss most of his freshman season.

"Settling for threes isn't always good," the 6-foot-7 forward told reporters after the game.

Thankfully, Cole wasn't the only Hawkeye to step it up against the Eagles. 

The atrocious three-point shooting aside, the team spread the scoring around and Iowa's freshmen continued to show there is hope for the future. Freshman point guard Cully Payne scored 11 points, and freshman center Brennan Cougill scored nine points, grabbing nine rebounds in his effort.

Matt Gatens seemed to break out of a shooting slump, adding 16 points. He came into the season for Iowa as last year's leading scorer, but has been a little off so far this year.

Sophomore guard Anthony Tucker's shooting continues to struggle, though. Tucker led the team in assists for the game, but missed on all four of his field-goal attempts.

North Carolina Central's Vincent Davis led the Eagles in scoring with 18 points.

This was an important win for the Hawkeyes, who are off to one of the worst starts in school history. The victory improved Iowa's record to 2-4 on the season.

Iowa now turns their attention to Tuesday's game against Virginia Tech, which is 4-1 on the year.

The Virginia Tech game is part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and will be televised at 8:35 p.m. on ESPN2. In an effort to increase attendance, the game is FREE for all University of Iowa students.

This article is also featured on IowaHawkeyes.Net , a nerd's blog dedicated to all that is Hawkeye.