First hoops test nears
Sam Martin - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Sports
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Teamwork, defense, teamwork.
Repeat.
Iowa men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter is stressing those aspects most in his first season in Iowa City.
Ask him about the development of freshman guard Jeff Peterson, and he'll respond, "I think he's doing a good job. He and 10 other guys, they're all doing a very good job."
Ask him about the team's biggest strength - is it the outside shooting of Tony Freeman and Justin Johnson or the inside presence of big men Kurt Looby and Cyrus Tate?
"[The strength] is in the team," Lickliter responded, unwilling to single any player out. "They'll complement one another. I think if you ever decide that it's going to be one-dimensional, you're really selling players short.
"I think their focus will be on what's going to help us be successful, not anything else."
The Hawkeyes will tip off against Simpson College Thursday at 7 p.m. in Lickliter's Carver-Hawkeye Arena début. The game will be the first chance for Iowa to face some outside competition - something players are looking forward to.
"I'm excited," Peterson said. "The intrasquad scrimmage was fun, but I think it's going to be a lot better when we compete against another team, competing with one another instead of against each other."
Last weekend's Black and Gold Blowout drew several thousand fans to Carver. The scrimmage was exciting for the fans, but it didn't allow supporters to draw conclusions, considering that both sides knew the opposition's plays.
"Black and Gold Blowout was a good thing for us to play in front of everybody, but we all knew what plays we were running, and we all knew what was going on," said junior forward Tate. "[Thursday] really gives us a chance to put what we've been practicing to the test."
Players are adjusting well to life under Lickliter. Daily 7 a.m. practices last around an hour and focus on offensive schemes. At 4 p.m., they reconvene for defensive drills, the forefront of the new head coach's game plan.
Repeat.
Iowa men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter is stressing those aspects most in his first season in Iowa City.
Ask him about the development of freshman guard Jeff Peterson, and he'll respond, "I think he's doing a good job. He and 10 other guys, they're all doing a very good job."
Ask him about the team's biggest strength - is it the outside shooting of Tony Freeman and Justin Johnson or the inside presence of big men Kurt Looby and Cyrus Tate?
"[The strength] is in the team," Lickliter responded, unwilling to single any player out. "They'll complement one another. I think if you ever decide that it's going to be one-dimensional, you're really selling players short.
"I think their focus will be on what's going to help us be successful, not anything else."
The Hawkeyes will tip off against Simpson College Thursday at 7 p.m. in Lickliter's Carver-Hawkeye Arena début. The game will be the first chance for Iowa to face some outside competition - something players are looking forward to.
"I'm excited," Peterson said. "The intrasquad scrimmage was fun, but I think it's going to be a lot better when we compete against another team, competing with one another instead of against each other."
Last weekend's Black and Gold Blowout drew several thousand fans to Carver. The scrimmage was exciting for the fans, but it didn't allow supporters to draw conclusions, considering that both sides knew the opposition's plays.
"Black and Gold Blowout was a good thing for us to play in front of everybody, but we all knew what plays we were running, and we all knew what was going on," said junior forward Tate. "[Thursday] really gives us a chance to put what we've been practicing to the test."
Players are adjusting well to life under Lickliter. Daily 7 a.m. practices last around an hour and focus on offensive schemes. At 4 p.m., they reconvene for defensive drills, the forefront of the new head coach's game plan.
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