Tony Freeman..more playing time..AT IOWA

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
Freeman wrapped up his SIU year yesterday...he finished with 30 minutes per game and 11.8ppg in the Mo Valley. His last year at Iowa, he averaged 35 minutes per game, and averaged 13.8ppg.
 
JonDMiller said:
Freeman wrapped up his SIU year yesterday...he finished with 30 minutes per game and 11.8ppg in the Mo Valley. His last year at Iowa, he averaged 35 minutes per game, and averaged 13.8ppg.
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He was basically kicked off the team by Lick. I never understood why he ran him off the team after coming off a 3rd team all big ten season. Tony took a lot of flack for taking bad shots but when you dont run an offense someone has to chuck up a shot before the shot clock runs out. I always liked Tony - i wish he wouldve finished as a Hawk
 
busabus114 said:
He was basically kicked off the team by Lick. I never understood why he ran him off the team after coming off a 3rd team all big ten season. Tony took a lot of flack for taking bad shots but when you dont run an offense someone has to chuck up a shot before the shot clock runs out. I always liked Tony - i wish he wouldve finished as a Hawk
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I thought it had something to do with him dribbling too much rather than playing within the team concept, or something like that. I sure wish Lickliter could have found a way to keep an all big ten player on the floor instead of threatening to bench him. This is still a sore spot with me.

Yeah, Freeman "chose" to leave the team, but Lickliter pretty much forced him out.
 
I believe what Lick told him is if you don't like what we are doing here is the door. No question, Lick should have put up with him. I think that was probably one of his biggest mistakes here at Iowa so far.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
I thought it had something to do with him dribbling too much rather than playing within the team concept, or something like that. I sure wish Lickliter could have found a way to keep an all big ten player on the floor instead of threatening to bench him. This is still a sore spot with me.

Yeah, Freeman "chose" to leave the team, but Lickliter pretty much forced him out.
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Lick pretty much told him he wasnt in their plans for the next season in their postseason meeting. I remember Tony commenting that he was extremely surprised. He dribbled a lot but he didnt really have a choice....ya know, since we dont really run an offense
 
TWR96 said:
I believe what Lick told him is if you don't like what we are doing here is the door. No question, Lick should have put up with him. I think that was probably one of his biggest mistakes here at Iowa so far.
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Lick should've put up with him?! Regardless of the state of the program, no player is bigger than that of the program- end of story, think what you want.
 
PlanoHawk said:
Lick should've put up with him?! Regardless of the state of the program, no player is bigger than that of the program- end of story, think what you want.
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No, but I don't think we know that is the case with Freeman. So I guess it's ok to run off All Big Ten players. Nice.

I'll take a wild guess and say you're probably one of those people that also thinks the 1998 Iowa team would have been a better team without Ricky Davis.
 
PlanoHawk said:
Lick should've put up with him?! Regardless of the state of the program, no player is bigger than that of the program- end of story, think what you want.
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Saying that Lick wouldve "had to put up with Tony" implies that Tony was a bid kid or a problem. Neither is true. He was a good kid and a solid player. Just because he didnt fit the "Butler Way" shouldnt have been enough to run him off the team....especially before his senior season.
 
tony shot over 42% from 3 point this year. Iowa is the worst three point shooting team in the league(unless michigan passed us) with our volume 3 point shooters at 37% or less. I really think licks first mistake was not red-shirting Tony due to his broken foot his first year here,like tony wanted. Then he could have had 3 years to find a comfort zone for tony in his system. Tony was a good kid. Again,I think lick stinks at nurturing positive relationships with his players. They got off to a rough start and it continued to go south.
Tony was a legit Big Ten player,who had carried us on the road to wins at Michigan in back to back years...we just did not have enough guys like that to simply cast one aside. Over at SIU, they seemed to love and respect Tony...just seems like he could have beened worked with at Iowa by lick if lick had wanted to.
 
busabus114 said:
Saying that Lick wouldve "had to put up with Tony" implies that Tony was a bid kid or a problem. Neither is true. He was a good kid and a solid player. Just because he didnt fit the "Butler Way" shouldnt have been enough to run him off the team....especially before his senior season.
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Exactly, seems like a convenient way to label Freeman as a selfish player and justify Lick's decision to run him off.

Some seem to think that the coach is the coach, so he is always in the right.

I obviously disagree with how it was handled, but there will always be disagreemnt on this topic. Obviously Freeman didn't want to change his game as shown by his choice to move on, so I'll give you that. But I think the whole situation hilighted exactly how inflexible Lickliter is with his players. I think there is blame on both sides, if you want my opinion.
 
I would think if you love your team, love your school, love your teammates, you stick it out one final year with a staff you may not completely agree with.

Just my thoughts.
 
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