Video: Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter talks about criticism facing his son

IOWA CITY - John Lickliter walked on the Iowa men's basketball team last year and neither he nor his father, Coach Todd Lickliter, envisioned much of a playing role for himself within the program.

Last summer, John Lickliter said he wanted to share a basketball experience with his father, and Todd Lickliter said he wouldn't limit his son to just scout-team duty.

In recent weeks, John's role has changed from practice-team fill-in to backup point guard. He now plays a significant amount of minutes out of necessity.

Starting sophomore guard Anthony Tucker was suspended from the team Dec. 20 after a alcohol-related arrest. Iowa already had a thin, inexperienced group of guards with true freshman Cully Payne at the point. Without Tucker, Iowa needed 5-foot-11 John Lickliter, a red-shirt freshman, to play despite his limited athletic ability.

“Obviously we needed some depth,” Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter said. “We had to do something. Anthony had been shifting over and playing the one when (Payne) was not in.

“I wasn't worried about getting him any minutes. John signed up for this to try to help us. He was trying to help us in practice any way he could. But playing time was something that we never really had talked about. It wasn't an expectation.”

John Lickliter's first action this year came against South Carolina State, the team's 12th game. He's since played in every game and averages 12.1 minutes. His play resembles much of Iowa's season, a few highlights mixed with a few rough plays. He played eight minutes against Purdue and stole a pass at midcourt. He raced toward the basket and launched an off-balanced shot that bounced off the backboard and into the net.

Against Michigan last Saturday, John Lickliter played a career-high 24 minutes. Sometimes he spelled Payne, other times the point guards were on the court concurrently. Like the team, John Lickliter struggled at times. With time winding down on the shot clock, Lickliter launched a 3-point attempt that barely hit the rim during a crucial first-half possession. He sank just 1 of 7 shots from the field at Michigan.

“He got put in a couple of tough situations,” Coach Lickliter said. “I really don't want him trying at the end of the shot clock trying to create a shot. It's not fair, it's not a good thing, and he got put in that situation a couple of times.”

In 133 minutes, John Lickliter has 12 assists and five turnovers. He's also grabbed four steals and averages 2.9 points a game.

John Lickliter's presence is polarizing among fans and opponents alike. He routinely enters the game to cheers at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but Internet message boards sizzle with his first appearance, mostly with criticism. He also attracts considerable attention on the road from opposing fans, who taunt him with boisterous, unflattering verbal chants.

“He can take it,” Coach Lickliter said. “We understand. He's lived with some of this. He understands. You just have to keep things in perspective and do what you know is right.”