Rumors had been flying all week that Tony Freeman--you know, that guy that led Iowa in scoring in eight of his twenty games played--was on his way out. The UI made it official tonight, announcing that Freeman will be released from his scholarship. He'll be completing his collegiate career elsewhere, the story says, and we're anxiously awaiting word on where that'll be. High-major school? Possible, but it's doubtful he'd start; why transfer out of a sure starting role for your senior season just to sit out for a year, then play 10 minutes a game at Marquette or some shit? Mid-major, most likely, but Freeman cannot actually think that playing at IUPUI will be better than at Iowa. C'mon.
The transfer rumors had begun earlier this week, after an assistant told the Linn County I-Club that the captains for the 2008-2009 season were Cyrus Tate and Jarryd Cole. Two guys who play the same position, and one guy who is much younger than Freeman. Freeman gave some tepid answers when pressed for comment, then said he "should be" at Iowa next year, which is code for "peace bitches." Nice work by Randy Peterson, marking the first time since the Big Peach era that Register sportswriting has been noteworthy. In a positive sense, anyway.
We'll sort of miss Freeman. Well, Jebus won't. And I probably won't. And HS probably won't. So let me amend my previous statement: Thank you for spending all of last season knocking down three-pointers when Iowa was hopelessly behind, Freeman. Your ability to create massive amounts of turnovers from thin air (The stats say 71, creating a "perfect 1:1" A/T ratio, but we could swear he coughed it up roughly 14 times per game) was at once astonishing and maddening. Also, we're pretty sure you were the reason Todd Lickliter did this all the time:
Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, or failing that, a failsafe place to hide Tony Freeman's body.
The wild card is incoming recruit Anthony Tucker, who will probably be pressed into duty at the point. You can judge for yourself if you think he's capable of doing so by watching this highlight reel from Rivals, but we're not terribly optimistic. His jumper is outstanding, but you can't seriously watch that and tell us he's capable of consistently facing a press at the BXI level. No way.
But we digress. Tony Freeman, going the way of the dirigible and Dan Bohall. Godspeed, you offense-wrecking lunatic. We'll always have our below-average photoshops of you.
"I just really don’t have the heart or the passion for the game anymore....I enjoyed playing basketball, but I’d rather spend more time with my family and my girlfriend."
"I just kind of figured this was the right path to go on....I’m going to continue school at Iowa, work for a golf course for the summer, and try to enjoy life a little now that I’ve got some free time."
The 6-4 sophomore guard was ostensibly a starter for the first 7 games of the campaign before giving way to Jake Kelly. He then missed 6 games for a public intoxication conviction, went through twice as much work as a normal drunk student in an effort to get back in the good graces of his coach, his school, and the media, and played a total of 47 minutes in Iowa's final 17 games. The former walk-on was told he was not keeping his scholarship, and that was it for Dan. Frankly, I doubt I would have made it through everything he did and still have the tenacity to come back and finish the season; the kid has my respect. Enjoy your free time and your summer on the golf course, Dan. Just stay away from the hard stuff.
UPDATE: OK, nothing new here, but I'm embarassed with myself for not coming up with the obvious joke last night.
So I jump ship in Omaha and make my way over to Iowa City, and I get on as a walk-on on a team over in the university. A walk-on, you know, a gray squadder, a walk-on, a jock. So, I tell them I’m a pro walk-on, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lickliter, himself. Twelfth son of the Lickliter. The flowing robes, the grace, frown... striking. So, I’m at the first practice with him. I give him the basketball. He hauls off and shoots one - good shooter, the Lickliter - long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lickliter says? Gunga galunga... gunga, gunga-galunga. So we finish the season and he’s gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little scholarship, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won’t be any scholarship, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.
PROS: Played meaningful minutes for a Big Ten team this year, for some reason.
CONS: Orchestrated lamest arrest in Hawkeye history. Drinks Zima. Did not earn the title of Captain Awesome. Probably listens to the Insane Clown Posse on purpose.
You have to feel for Dan Bohall. Most college kids get busted for public intox, spend a night in the tank with a long-time drunk who repeatedly tries to stick a phone receiver up his own ass, post bail, pay a fine, and go home. Our man Dan got busted for public intox (in his a dorm bathroom, no less), had to do all of the above, plus write a term paper, take a test, and help some sick kids. Sick kids are a bummer, man.
In any case, Bohall will be back in action for the Hawkeyes this week as they take on Ohio State and Michigan State. Sure, he's not particularly skilled and has difficulty scoring, but that makes him no different than the rest of this team. The fact is he's a warm body who plays a little defense, and that is good enough.
The newspaper articles say Bohall is working to rehabilitate his image. That's a noble goal, and I don't want to diminish the crime, but it's not as if the kid robbed a grocery store. He got drunk with his friends and passed out in the bathroom. I did that 3 nights ago. I just had the presence of mind and financial wherewithal to find my own bathroom.
Welcome to 2008, readers. From an athletic standpoint, 2007 sucked so hard that it took the last three months of '06 with it. There was scant good news, a metric shitload of bad news, and a horror show of a basketball season that's only getting worse.
Non-binding resolutions: they're not just for the Senate!
So in the spirit of the holiday, we'll be considering what we're looking forward to in 2008, and hearing from some old familiar faces as well.
Hawkeye State
Start eating better
Buy a new car
Take more road trips to Hawkeye away games
Renovate the main bathroom
Join Rockapella, search for Carmen Sandiego
Oops Pow Surprise
Stay in close touch with my family
Get a promotion at work
Visit Europe again, spend more than one day in Brussels
Find Jesus Christ*
JHC
Shower every day
Write every day
Do a triathlon
Get a book published
Learn to juggle bowling balls
Kirk Ferentz
Recruit kids who will not create their own gang
Cut down on the gum
Talk like a person and not a computerized help line
Jake Christensen
Knock a tenth of a second off my 40 time
Throw with my eyes open
Make Coach O'Keefe cut it out with the Good Games while I am in the shower
Learn receivers' names
Todd Lickliter
Stop referring to Seth Gorney as "The Mongoloid" to assistant coaches and my family
Review pros and cons of spending rest of season in drunken stupor
Get Barta to take Drake off next five schedules
Emotionally separate self from Butler job, no matter how far up the Top 25 the Dawgs get
Iowa football player Brandon Myers has pleaded guilty to public intoxication and interference with official acts, court records show.
Court records show that Coralville police arrested Myers early Sunday morning on a charge of public intoxication as well as one charge of interference with official acts. He pleaded guilty to both counts on the same day and was fined a total of $350.
Court records say that Myers fled the scene of a fight on foot at 12:06 a.m. near the Walgreens Drug Store in Coralville. After being caught by police, Myers acknowledged that he attempted to avoid arrest, records say.
The police report also says that Myers — when tested for alcohol at the scene — had a blood alcohol content of .12.
It might or might not out-awesome Clint Huntrods - depending on whether Myers urinated on Wallgreens during or immediately after the alleged fight - but it certainly out-awesomes the Bacardi Silver-chugging Dan Bohall.
Of course, you may wonder how a 22 year old Division 1-A tight end gets caught by police after fleeing the scene of a fight on foot...
The Coralville Police Department: Artificial SEC Speed
Do you have any NCAA eligibility left with the University of Iowa? Have you ever dribbled a regulation-sized basketball? Will you fit into a medium-sized jersey without stretching it in the middle? If you can answer "yes" to two of these three questions, Todd Lickliter invites you to show up at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls tomorrow night; he's got a starting role at point guard waiting for you. Heck, even this might even be worth some minutes:
Seriously, just Jake and Justin. That's all. Time to see if those two can put in 40 minutes at the 1 and 2 (no, not these) straight. Looks like we'll be going with this lineup:
PG J. Kelly
SG J. Johnson
SF J. Cole
PF K. Looby
C S. Gorney
----------------------
J.R. Angle
C. Tate
T. Lickliter
Traffic Cone
Dreams
Unicorn
D. Palmer
Wow. Iowa's, uh... Iowa's going "big," I guess. Jeff, our thoughts are with you and your family, and we hope you come back soon.
About the only good thing for Iowa fans making the trip up to Cedar Falls (you know, since we've been doing such a great job of filling Carver) will be the Panthers' gorgeous new basketball arena, which opened in 2006 and is a wonderful facility for a mid-major program like UNI's. From any meaningful standpoint (atmosphere, aesthetics, acoustics), it's an unquestionable upgrade from the UNI-Dome. Our NE Iowan readers would do well to catch a game or two up there.
According to the incident report, Bohall was found sleeping in a locked stall in a restroom in the dormitory. Once he was awoken, he allegedly displayed poor balance, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. The report indicated that Bohall recorded a .164 on his preliminary blood-alcohol test and a .150 on his post-arrest test.
Wonderful news from the Hillcrest dormitory early this morning, as guard Dan Bohall was arrested for public intoxication. In a dorm he doesn't live in. On the crapper. Yep.
According to police, Daniel Stephen Bohall, 21, a sophomore guard from Sioux City, was found lying in a locked stall with no shirt on at 5:09 a.m. Police said Bohall did not initially wake up when he was moved and when he did wake, he had poor balance, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. Bohall allegedly admitted to drinking.
Clearly, Bohall was looking for Clint Huntrods' tried and true winning formula of severe intoxication and bodily fluids, but we've got to say that unless some additional evidence comes out that he was at least decorated, Mr. Huntrods remains Captain Awesome.
COLLEGE BLOGS
COLLEGE BLOGS