Freeman is officially gone from IA BB

1100011CS · 05-03-2008, 12:34 AM

Originally Posted by SouthernHawk

We know the reason...

hawk central | Hawkeye Basketball, Men's

He sounds like a good kid. Hope it works out for him.

isucyfan · 05-03-2008, 09:54 AM

This one is still blowing my mind. If I were a Hawk fan (*shudder*), I would be wondering why the coach and player couldn't come to some agreement here. Freeman was pretty much asked by Lickliter to transfer. Why couldn't Lickliter have just sat Freeman when he started playing "out of the system"? Why couldn't Freeman have tried to change his game to fit in more?

Players change all the time, and Jiri is a prime example. GMac almost sent him back to the Czech Republic, but there seemed to be more of a willingness to work with him by the coaching staff than Freeman was given.

How many teams run off a third team all-conference performer, even if that conference is the Big 11???

BTW, I'd take Freeman on our team. The Hawks still owe us for Haluska.

Cyclonepride · 05-03-2008, 10:14 AM

He's certainly taking the right attitude towards the situation. You would think that a coach could help a player adapt to the system, or adapt the system to him in small ways.

tec71 · 05-03-2008, 10:45 AM

watch for him to possibly end up at Northwest Missouri State. It's DII. I don't know if they are still dating but his girlriend, a former Iowa vb player, transfered there a year ago. Last I heard they were doing the long distance thing. Don't have a clue if they are any good or not. If not I'm sure he could do better basketball wise.

isucyfan · 05-03-2008, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by tec71

watch for him to possibly end up at Northwest Missouri State. It's DII. I don't know if they are still dating but his girlriend, a former Iowa vb player, transfered there a year ago. Last I heard they were doing the long distance thing. Don't have a clue if they are any good or not. If not I'm sure he could do better basketball wise.

Good info. I've been thinking what I'd do if I were him. Part of me would want to go D-II and play right away, and graduate quicker. The other part would want to go somewhere I could play Iowa and burn them.

Does anyone think going D-II would hurt a guy's chances of playing professionally anywhere??

keepngoal · 05-03-2008, 11:15 AM

after reading the DSM Rag article this morning.... something is up. While I haven't lumped Lick in the crap pile (half way their just for coaching at the UofI), I expect more about this... and for it to linger on and on.... I won't pass too much judgment on Lick for this yet... but my radar is up.

All of our players left quietly..... no matter the reason.. this story is MUCH different....... Sorry SH, after the article those green apples are getting closer to green grapes (and yes size matters).

-keep

cgwarrior33 · 05-03-2008, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by isucyfan

Good info. I've been thinking what I'd do if I were him. Part of me would want to go D-II and play right away, and graduate quicker. The other part would want to go somewhere I could play Iowa and burn them.

Does anyone think going D-II would hurt a guy's chances of playing professionally anywhere??

It wont hurt him playing over seas, that is for sure. It would hurt his chances a bit with the NBA if he doesn't put up outstanding numbers at the Division II level. If he puts puts up the numbers, it will be ok. The biggest problem is that he doesn't get the press that he would if he was at a D-I school.

cgwarrior33 · 05-03-2008, 11:49 AM

Some how I find this whole situation very shady. You read the Rag article and it looks like Lick is a bad guy. Read the HawkCentral article and it doesn't look as bad. I do find it odd that Lick would not comment on the situation if it was a mutual agreement for Tony to go elsewhere. This could potentially be an ugly situation.

MontyBurns · 05-03-2008, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by cgwarrior33

Some how I find this whole situation very shady. You read the Rag article and it looks like Lick is a bad guy. Read the HawkCentral article and it doesn't look as bad. I do find it odd that Lick would not comment on the situation if it was a mutual agreement for Tony to go elsewhere. This could potentially be an ugly situation.

Reading Hawkcentral is like reading Communist propoganda. There's more spin than substance there.

From the Rag, it looks like Lick either doesn't like the way Tony plays or he has another recruit he wants to bring in and needs to free up a scholarship, so he ran Tony off. It's an ugly situation and it sucks for Freeman, but it happens. Tim Floyd does it all the time.

isucyfan · 05-03-2008, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by MontyBurns

Tim Floyd does it all the time.

But I don't think Floyd has ever run off someone that is 3rd team all-conference.

Either Lickliter is crazy like a fox, or dumb as a post. Either way, he apparently has HUGE onions.

SouthernHawk · 05-03-2008, 12:06 PM

Actually, reading the Rag says to me that there may not be as much to this situation as people may think.

The last few lines, Freeman says something to the effect that Lick didn't tell him to leave, but just basically said he doesn't fit the system.

When you are building a program, you can't have a senior leader not willing to buy into the coaches program. And out of fairness to Tony, Lick told him he'd probably have better luck next year.

It's harsh, but it's D-I basketball. I think it's better than Freeman expecting to be a starter and then riding the pine. That can cause all sorts of problems within the team.

I don't think there is anything "shady" about it - Lick didn't like the way Tony played, Tony wasn't willing to adjust, and Lick wanted to move on.

isucyfan · 05-03-2008, 12:12 PM

SouthernHawk, you don't think Lickliter should have tried to work with Freeman more, or vice versa? If I had one of the best 15 players in the Big Ten, I would say, "Tony, we are going to need to utilize your talents in a little different way next year." It just seems like there would be more done to keep a guy like him there in some way.

SouthernHawk · 05-03-2008, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by isucyfan

SouthernHawk, you don't think Lickliter should have tried to work with Freeman more, or vice versa? If I had one of the best 15 players in the Big Ten, I would say, "Tony, we are going to need to utilize your talents in a little different way next year." It just seems like there would be more done to keep a guy like him there in some way.

I'm sure he did. He tried to work with him last year, and probably tried to work with him up until that point.

I don't think Lick just said "you're too different, leave."

I do feel bad for Freeman, because I think he's a good guy and a good player, but Lick has to do what's best for the team. This program has been messed up for 9 years now, and it's going to take things like this to turn it around.

LindenCy · 05-03-2008, 12:24 PM

I think what is best for the team is letting him play out the string. How does it look to a potential recruit to know that they could be bumped even if they play well?

cigaretteman · 05-03-2008, 12:37 PM

Here's a Chicago Tribune articleFreeman gets the hint, will transfer from Iowa -- ChicagoSports.com