It’s a wrap
Iowa’s exhibition tour of Italy and Greece ended one game earlier than expected thanks to a club team that has already decided to call it a season.
That leaves Friday’s 85-72 win over Dukas — that’s Dukas, a Greek club team, not Duke — as the Hawkeyes final on-court experience of their 10-day foreign tour.
Coach Todd Lickliter believes his team will return home with more than a 2-1 record and a lifetime of memories.
He opted for a spring trip in hopes of creating something for his seven players to focus on and build toward during individual workouts that followed Iowa’s 15-17 season.
He even labeled the trip as Iowa’s postseason play.
In comments released through Iowa’s sports information office following Friday’s game, Lickliter sounded like a satisfied coach.
“I think we improved and grew in a number of ways,” he said. “The entire trip has been outstanding, but we have also really seen some growth from these seven guys and from their play since the end of the season.”
For the first time in Lickliter’s three springs with the Iowa program, the emphasis has been on offense during individual workouts. The coaching staff believes that Hawkeye players now have enough of a base defensively that the emphasis can turn to the other end of the court. They will use returning players to help instill defensive philosophies in Iowa’s newcomers while work to grow the offense continues into the fall.
Iowa’s big men enjoyed a solid three games overseas, averaging a double double.
Jarryd Cole averaged 19.3 points and 11 rebounds per game, while Aaron Fuller averaged 14.7 points and was Iowa’s top rebounder at 12.7 per game on the tour.
Anthony Tucker and Matt Gatens also finished the three games with double-digit scoring averages, finishing at 13.7 and 13.3 respectively. Gatens led the team in assists on the tour, averaging 6.7.
The summer term at Iowa begins in one week with Prime Time League play to be shortly after.
