Seven up
Is seven enough?
It has been in the last four games the Iowa basketball team has played. That is as deep as Iowa coach Todd Lickliter has been willing to go into the not-so-deep Hawkeye bench. Lickliter doesn’t believe fatigue should be a factor given the TV timeouts that are called every four minutes in every game Iowa plays.
“I think I could put five of you guys on the court for four-minute stretches with a two-minute break and fatigue shouldn’t be a problem,” Lickliter said, pointing to a room full of reporters whose most-athletic moments can be found in the rear view mirror. “We’re talking about 19 and 20 years old here. Guys like that should be able to play all day.”
Facing opponents who are rotating nine or 10 bodies on the court, Iowa players say they believe fatigue can be a factor in games.
“There are a few times when you get tired,” senior Seth Gorney said. “I tried to come out of a game earlier this year and I got yelled at for it. Being a senior, he expects me to play as much as I can. It can be tough some times.”
Gorney is one of three Hawkeyes averaging more than 32 minutes per game. Tony Freeman and Justin Johnson are the others and the two guards rank among the top five in the Big Ten in minutes played this season.
“You just play,” Freeman said. “As a player, you want to be on the court. We’re getting that chance.”
