Oct. 31, 2009
IOWA CITY, IA – After the University of Iowa football team’s thrilling 42-24 come-from-behind victory at Kinnick Stadium, the men’s basketball team held an open scrimmage at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Hawkeye fans were able to get a “sneak peek” of Head Coach Todd Lickliter’s 2009-10 squad. Also in attendance at the scrimmage was the 1980 Iowa Final Four team, which was in town this weekend for a reunion.
“It was nice to have a lot of fans come out today and watch us,” said Lickliter. “It was also incredible to have the 1980 Final Four team here at Carver. We were thankful to have Coach (Lute) Olson talk to the team at halftime. That was a terrific experience.”
The Hawkeyes’ displayed a strong shooting performance from the perimeter during the scrimmage, especially behind the arc. Both squads combined for 18 triples in the four 15-minute quarters, 10 of which came in the first quarter against a 2-3 zone.
“I thought we moved the ball extremely well and made open shots in the first part of the scrimmage,” said Lickliter. “I thought the guys’ effort was good today.”
John Lickliter was on fire from 3-point range today, making six treys, draining five in the first 15 minutes to lead the Black Team in the first quarter. After missing his first attempt, the Iowa City native dropped four straight from distance. The redshirt freshman finished the scrimmage with a team-best 18 points.
Defensively, Aaron Fuller looks was a menace on the offensive glass, while Jarryd Cole was strong on the defensive boards today. Fuller also contributed offensively, scoring seven of his 13 points in the third quarter. Cole also finished with 13 points.
Eric May paced the Black squad with seven points in the second quarter, while Matt Gatens and Brennan Cougill each contributed five points each. Gatens finished the scrimmage with 13 points, while Cougill netted 10 points.
“Everyone is giving a lot of effort, working hard and it’s a good thing to see early in the season,” said Gatens.
May dazzled the Carver crowd with nine points in the third quarter, bolstered by two dunks and a fast break jumper. The freshman finished the scrimmage with 16 points.
“I felt really comfortable shooting the ball today,” May said. “The coaches tell us to have faith in our shots and if we are open to shoot. The coaches have confidence in us and want us to have confidence in ourselves.”
Fuller looked good during the third quarter, chipping in seven points in the paint. With the two teams within one point of each other, Cole did a nice job of stepping up and drawing a charge to silence the Gold Team and regain possession.
Andrew Brommer scored five of his 13 points from the foul line, while Anthony Tucker had 12 points, Cully Payne tallied seven and Devan Bawinkel posted six.
“I thought we played well together out there, but we still have a lot to work on,” said Payne. “Overall, I felt like today was a positive step for us.”
After three weeks of preseason practice, the Hawkeyes finally hit the hardwood in an exhibition game next Sunday, Nov. 8 versus Marian University. Tip-off is slated for 12:35 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. For tickets, visit the UI Athletic Ticket Office or call 1-800-IA-HAWKS.