Hawkeyes taking their lumps at point position

The thinnest position on Iowa's men's basketball team has become the most vulnerable to injury.

Guards Cully Payne and Anthony Tucker have missed recent practices because of injuries, although both figure to play in Sunday's exhibition game against Marian (Ind.) University. Payne, a freshman point guard, rolled an ankle last Saturday during a team scrimmage and sat out practice Sunday.

Tucker, a sophomore who will split time at the point and off-guard positions, sprained a back muscle the second day of practice. He sat out three practices and receives treatment before and after workouts. He said Wednesday he'll continue to play through the injury while wearing a back brace.

“Eventually it will go away,” Tucker said. “I just treat it as much I can right now since I'll be playing on it. It makes it a little bit hard to bend at the waist. It's affecting me a little bit but it's something I can play through.”

Tucker is the only point guard with experience, albeit playing only 14 games last year at shooting guard. Tucker, who averaged 10.4 points a game, missed the second semester last year after he was ruled academically ineligible. His injury concerns Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter.

“I thought it really set him back,” Lickliter said. “He hasn't been able to move, and as you saw the other day (in Saturday's scrimmage), he didn't have the lift, he didn't have the explosion.

“We've been giving him treatments, so I'm hoping that he's going to be able to go at 100 percent; he needs to be able to.”

Payne, of Schaumburg, Ill., is slated to start at the point Sunday alongside senior guard Devan Bawinkel. Payne has drawn superlatives from teammates and Lickliter for his approach to the game and his on-court demeanor.

“He's someone that embraces the idea that to improve you have to be corrected. You have to invest, (and) he's not afraid to do that,” Lickliter said. “He enjoys running the team, and he wants to run it the way we want it run and that's exciting. He believes in what we do.”

Lickliter said Payne must adjust to the speed and physical nature of college basketball.

“I'm sure that there'll be a learning curve a little bit, and the competition is great,” Lickliter said. “But I think he's prepared himself for that.”

Payne's teammates tout his preparation and ability to grasp Lickliter's system.

“He's putting in the time and effort, and he's doing a great job with it,” sophomore guard Matt Gatens said. “We're throwing a lot at him, and he's handling it real well.”

“He listens to everybody, which is a big thing for him,” Tucker said. “He's advanced so much more because he's been willing to listen to everybody.”