Hit the road, Tuck

Two years ago I wrote a letter to Todd Lickliter, who was in his first year as head coach of the Iowa men’s basketball team. I told him he was doing a great job, and that I was very excited about the future of Hawkeye basketball. This week, I decided to write Lickliter again, letting him know that, despite the turmoil and bad fortunes of the last couple seasons, I’m still a proud and dedicated fan, still excited about the future; I’m eager to see his young team grow and improve, and I appreciate the effort he’s made to rebuild the program that was, under the Hoosier Dracula, neglected and directionless.

I finished and printed the letter last night. It’s in an envelope in my backpack, ready to be mailed. Despite this morning’s news that guard Anthony Tucker has been released from the team, I’m going to send it. The fact that one of Lickliter’s more talented players has left does not change the fact I think the program is making a slow turnaround for the better.

But about Tucker…

Here’s my take: he had to go.

The story link on ESPN’s college basketball page put it aptly: “Troubled Hawkeyes G Tucker leaves program.” Closer to home, Scott Dochterman wrote on his CRG blog, “It was a predictable end to the Anthony Tucker era at Iowa.” Dochterman is right on the mark: this was inevitable given Tucker’s inability to buckle down and follow rules. His public intox charge in December was his third strike, and I was sure we’d seen the last of Anthony Tucker as a Hawkeye. (It was evident from his Facebook status, as reported by KCRG: “I’m outta here!”) Frankly, the last couple weeks — Licky reinstating him from suspension, allowing him to travel with the team, and letting him suit up — was a useless charade; Tucker should have been released after being arrested.

Eager to see what others were saying, I skimmed the P-C and DMR reader comments for the first time all season. Of course, the spoiled/impatient/unrealistic Hawkeye fans are blaming Lickliter and calling for his ouster, as always (those cry babies will never be satisfied), but others made me proud by taking a levelheaded and rational approach to the situation: it’s best for the Hawks and Tuck to part ways. He’s obviously not doing well in Iowa City, and the team doesn’t need his attitude and immaturity. The kid’s got talent, but he hasn’t grown up.

Frankly, I think the Hawkeyes are a better team without him. Tucker’s absence forced the team’s young prospects to step up and work together, and I think the chemistry that’s developed has formed the foundation Lickliter and the program need to start rebuilding. Having only donned the black and gold in a handful of games, Tucker has not had a chance to bond with his teammates and attune to the system Licky wants to run.

So we move on. The sun will set tonight and rise again tomorrow. Though I’m unsure if he has much of a college basketball career left (seriously, who’d want to take a risk on him?), I wish Tuck the best of luck. Licky now has another scholarship to work with, and the rumor mill has already started turning, churning out possibilities of how he’ll use it and on whom.

(Yes, that is a Quiet Man custom graphic. Tight, huh? That’s the first successful clipping path I’ve drawn since my Little Hawk days.)