Anthony Tucker Out For Year With Diseased Report Card

by Adam Jacobi on Jan 21, 2009 7:01 PM CST in Basketball Comment 8 comments

Boy, it has sucked to be Anthony Tucker recently. After a decent start to the season, Tucker's life bottomed out starting in early December. First, a very ill-advised Unfrozen Caveman Off-Guard incident placed him squarely in the doghouse. While serving an indefinite suspension, Tucker came down with mononucleosis, robbing him of conditioning, strength, and endurance. You kind of need those to play basketball for more than 45 seconds at a time.

And so today, the cherry on top of the shit sundae dropped. The athletic department told the press today that Tucker has been named academically ineligible for the second semester after an unspecified appeal failed.

Tucker, obvoz, is gone for the season but hasn't announced any plans to transfer or go to a juco; there's a difference between academic ineligibility and flunking out, after all. But guys have left programs over far less, and it would be a terrible shame if Tucker did too (which he probably will).

It's worth noting, by the way, that this could be a blessing in disguise; taking court time completely off the table gives Tucker the opportunity to focus on what's far more important: getting his health, grades, and decision-making in order. Let's just say "we'll see you on the court in 9 months" to Tucker and hope he does what it takes to get there. It'll be hard, but it's far from impossible. Hint: don't do this anymore.

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Im not sure it was more of him not being healthy or if he just didn’t have the heart to want to be on the court anymore. Maybe Bo Ryan will come up with some lame idiotic comment on what Tucker’s problem is to humour us like he did for his gaurd. Anyways we are fucked without tate and tucker

I still love brad banks in the most heterosexual way possible

by hawkeye or die on Jan 21, 2009 7:40 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

So fucked we win?

I got more rhymes than Wade Lookingbill's got dunks

by Adam Jacobi on Jan 21, 2009 10:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Is it a coincidence that we've played our best basketball this year without him?

Probably! But I’m going to pretend otherwise.

by NorseHawk on Jan 21, 2009 10:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I say good riddance

Let’s just say it didn’t look like he was too worried about his grades last night when he was throwing down shots (not basketball) at a downtown I.C. establishment. I am not convinced that he is improving his decision making at all, and when he was “out with mono” I saw him downtown a couple times. I cannot confirm or deny that he was drinking during this time, but he definitely was last night. In fairness to him, he is by far not the only basketball player I see out, he’s not even the only underage true freshman I see out. It’s not just him, and I don’t mean to sound hypocritical, but where are your priorities young men? Are you getting a free ride to a good school to help resurrect a program, or go out and drink and make an ass of yourself.

I know this is not a new thing, but it really bothers me. I really hate seeing (as I have several times over the last couple years) a team get embarrassed on the floor and two hours later their players are living it up and having a great old time downtown. It just strikes me the wrong way, especially when that person is a minor that has already been in trouble with the law for alcohol related problems. And now we find out your grades are in the shitter? Well, I guess if he wants to piss his opportunities away, that’s his decision. Whatever.

by shada's revenge on Jan 21, 2009 10:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Seriously? All college kids should be Kyle Galloway or Kyle McCann

I am sorry Shada’s revenge but college athletes party just like normal college kids. After losses, they should just cry at home about everything? I would rather have them go out with their friends to forget about the game. Maybe, they should contact you personally to see how they should act after wins and losses because your perception of their behavior is all that seems to matter.

I could rant forever about the downtown bar culture in IC but why is this outrage always focused on the kids who (shockingly!) want to drink booze just like the majority of college students in America? Athletes on scholarship have more risks than normal kids but this is not a surprise that they want to enjoy the fruits of the Iowa City party night life.

The ICPD has always been a gestapo police force focused on screwing over college kids and athletes too. The whole Ped Mall culture is one big money making entrapment scheme for the local govt and bar owners to rake in cash at the legal expense of 18-20 year old kids. The system stays the same and new kids are shuffled in and out, with long lasting permanent legal records. The University is on it too by wanting to keep the pipeline of out of state college kids from the Chicago burbs paying those higher tuition rates and changing the bar culture would definitely hurt recruiting efforts.

All three of them (Bars, City, UI) have vested interests in keeping underage kids in bars so save me this soap box puffing about Tucker “supposedly” doing some shots at the U bar. He is not the first or the last underage athlete or student to booze in a downtown IC bar. Hell, USC football players are in limos going to Hollywood parties with strippers and drugs.

Tucker will either get his shit together academically and mature as a young student which includes learning how to handle his booze and class work load or he will not. It is pretty simple. Railing on him for being out after losses seems silly and misguided as the proof will be in his long term behavioral changes. I do share you concern about these 2 incidents but I do not want to jettison the kid. Iowa has supported many more kids for far greater crimes and Shonn Greene recently proved that athletes do learn from their mistakes.

Also, In accordance with your logic, I never saw McCann or Galloway out partying in my college years so both of them must have been All Americans. :)

I could post about all of the good and great Iowa athletes that I partied with but I will refrain from Podolaking anyone.

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Jan 22, 2009 12:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

"Are you getting a free ride to a good school to help resurrect a program, or go out and drink and make an ass of yourself."

Well they are trying (and in Tuckers case failing) to do both.

Shonn Greene for Heisman
Doak Walker award winner
144 yards per game
6.2 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA

by shake n bake on Jan 22, 2009 8:40 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Tucker will probably transfer

Or this gives him more free time to get bombed like almost every freshman in college is doing. I hope that Tucker is plowing his fair share of Hawkeye coed pooners.

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Jan 22, 2009 11:45 AM CST reply actions 0 recs