Iowa coach confirms Tucker's suspension is related to alcohol

Last update: December 9, 2008 - 7:41 AM

Iowa men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter confirmed Monday that the suspension of leading scorer Anthony Tucker was alcohol-related.

Tucker, a freshman from Minnetonka and the Star Tribune's Metro Player of the Year, was suspended indefinitely Sunday by the Hawkeyes for what at the time was termed a violation of team rules. He is averaging 13.1 points per game.

At his weekly news conference in Iowa City, Lickliter said Tucker was supsended for an "alcohol-related lapse in judgment," according to the Hawkeyes' official website.

"I'm very thankful that everybody is well and OK and at the same time we need to address our commitment level," Lickliter said. "We can't change the lack of responsibility from this episode, but we sure can change behavior as we move forward."

MEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

BIG TEN

• ILLINOIS 68, HAWAII 58: Chester Frazier and Dominique Keller each scored 14 points to lead the Illini (8-1) over the Rainbow Warriors (3-3) in Champaign, Ill. After forcing a season-high 27 turnovers on Saturday against Georgia, Illinois scored 28 points off 22 turnovers by Hawaii on Monday.

AREA

• ST. THOMAS 86, AUGSBURG 58: Alex Healy scored a season-high 14 points and the Tommies ran their MIAC home winning streak to 37 by beating the Auggies. St. Thomas shot 65 percent from the floor and went on a 28-6 run in the first half in winning for the third time in six days.

• CARLETON 60, CONCORDIA (MOORHEAD) 54: Jeremy Sutherland scored 19 points and Zach Johnson 18 to lead the Knights over the host Cobbers.

• GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS 81, ST. MARY'S 62: Sam Paulson scored 19 points and Jesse Van Sickle 18 as the Gusties beat the Cardinals in Winona, Minn.

• BETHEL 73, MACALESTER 50: The Royals closed out the first half on a 15-2 run in beating the host Scots.

WOMEN'S HIGHLIGHTS

• No. 14 RUTGERS 45, GEORGIA 34: Junior guard Epiphanny Prince scored 14 points to become the sixth-fastest player in Rutgers history to reach 1,000 points, as the Scarlet Knights (4-2) beat the Bulldogs (7-3) in the Jimmy V Classic in Piscataway, N.J. Prince became the 28th Rutgers player to reach 1,000 points and she needed only 76 games to do it.

MIAC

• MACALESTER 63, BETHEL 55: Ann Baltzer had 15 points and eight rebounds as the Scots toppled the host Royals.

• CONCORDIA (MOORHEAD) 74, CARLETON 58: The host Cobbers built a 21-point halftime lead.

• GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS 75, ST. MARY'S 40: Molly Geske had 12 points to pace the balanced Gusties in St. Peter, Minn.

• ST. THOMAS 52, AUGSBURG 47: Jessica Katch's 14 points helped the visiting Tommies prevail.

• ST. BENEDICT 66, ST. CATHERINE 59: The Blazers handed the host Wildcats their first loss of the season.

STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

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