Iowa sophomore Anthony Tucker asked for and has been granted a release from his men’s basketball scholarship. The announcement came from head coach Todd Lickliter on Friday morning.
Tucker’s release comes less than two months after the Minnetonka, Minn., native was arrested and charged with a public intoxication on Dec. 20, 2009. It was Tucker’s second arrest since arriving at Iowa, and he was suspended for the Hawkeyes’ next nine games that followed.
Tucker was cleared to practice on Jan. 25, and was even dressed out for Iowa’s 78-65 victory over Northwestern last Wednesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
During a teleconference with the local media, Lickliter said Tucker and his mother both came to him on Thursday to ask for the scholarship release. He added that Tucker will remain on campus and finish out the UI’s spring semester before transferring to another school.
“We had a meeting, and I don’t think they’d mind me saying that their perspective was that it just hadn’t worked the way they hoped it would work, there was no blame placed on any parties, and that Anthony would like a change of scenery, a new opportunity, and I’m willing to grant that,” Lickliter said. “I wish him the best.”
Prior to his arrest, Tucker had started in each of Iowa’s first 11 games of the 2009-10 season. While he was allowed to eventually practice and even dress out with the team again following his suspension, the chances of him actually seeing the floor looked slim.
It’s a situation where I think we can all understand that we’re playing good basketball right now, and when you’re out, which Anthony was, your team continues to move on,” Lickliter said. “I like our rotations, I like the way we’re playing, and we’re going to continue to move forward.”
Lickliter also addressed this announcement coming now as opposed to at season’s end, and said the timing of Tucker’s decision was irrelevant since he had already played enough games to use up his sophomore year of eligibility. Tucker will still have two years of eligibility at whatever school he does transfer to following the UI’s spring semester.
“To complete the semester is a good thing for Anthony and his education,” Lickliter said. “I’ve maintained all along and very honestly that I’m concerned about that. I want him to continue on that path, and that’s what he’s going to do.”
Iowa returns to action on Saturday when it faces No. 6 Purdue at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.
— by Brendan Stiles
