Oct. 27, 2007
Todd’s Media Day press conference | Todd speaks to Talkin’ Black & Gold
IOWA CITY — Team. Balance. Distribution. The extra pass. Defense.
If fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes who attended the 2007 Black and Gold Basketball Blowout Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena saw anything during the first public appearance of Coach Todd Lickliter’s first UI men’s basketball team, they saw team, balance, distribution, the extra pass and defense.
The Black team defeated the Gold team 51-49 in the annual event thanks in great measure to guard Tony Freeman’s game-high 18 point performance, a mark that bested just barely the 17-point effort by the Gold team’s Justin Johnson. Jeff Peterson, also of the Gold squad, was the only other player to score in double-digits.
Jake Kelly dished out a game-high seven assists for the Black squad and the Gold team’s David Palmer grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
The Black also received nine points from Dan Bohall and eight from Kurt Looby, who also had a team-high seven rebounds and registered two blocked shots.
All eight players on the Gold squad scored. Jarryd Cole had six on three-of five shooting from the field and J.R. Angle added five.
Neither team shot particularly well, the Black knocked down 48 percnet of their shots from the field and just four of 14 attempts from behind the arc. The Black squad shot at a 40 percent clip and hit six of 20 three’s.
“This was a good experience for us, to have a live scrimmage in this atmosphere. I’m sure having a crowd in the arena was good for our guys in their preparation and performance. We haven’t had a lot of scrimmage time, due to the teaching and learning,” said Lickliter afterward.
“But this was a good step, and it will be good to look at the tape and move forward. These guys have been working extremely hard and doing everything we ask in preparing for the start of the season.”
Iowa entertains Simpson College Thursday at the Arena in the first of two exhibition games. Tipoff is set for shortly after 7 p.m.
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