Tucker leaves Iowa basketball team

It was a predictable end to the Anthony Tucker era at Iowa.

When Tucker was suspended Dec. 20 just hours after a second public intoxication arrest, it appeared likely he was off the team. Today, nearly two months later, Tucker asked for - and received - his scholarship release from Iowa. He no longer is listed on Iowa's men's basketball roster.

It was a tough end to a promising, yet, aggravating, Iowa career for Tucker.

Tucker, 20, already had a second chance after rough-and-tumble freshman season. He averaged more than 17 points a game in his first six starts as a freshman but was stricken with mononucleosis, which hampered him. Then, on Dec. 7, 2008, he was found unconscious and drunk in a downtown Iowa City alley and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. He later was arrested for public intoxication and pleaded guilty. He was suspended by the team for 11 days.

Weeks later, Tucker was ruled academically ineligible for the second semster. He passed all of his classes, but his grade-point-average was too low. Freshmen are required to carry at least a 1.65 GPA to compete in Big Ten athletics. He appealed a grade in one class but it was denied.

Tucker returned to the team following the second semester and participated in the team's European trip last June. He competed in the summer Prime Time League and appeared to put his mistakes behind him. He even had a tattoo inscribed on his arm that reads "Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records."

Tucker returned to Iowa's starting lineup in the team's opener. He averaged 11.9 points in Iowa's first 11 games, all of which he started. He matched his career high with 24 points against Virginia Tech and followed that up with 20 against Prairie View A&M.

But just hours after he scored 17 points in a win against Drake on Dec. 19, Tucker was arrested for public intoxication again after a dispute with a taxi cabdriver. According to the police complaint, Tucker accused the cabdriver of taking his cell phone and allegedly was beating on the side of the cab. The cabdriver locked his car doors and called police.

The police report described Tucker with bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and a strong smell of alcohol. Tucker swayed when he spoke and “had trouble forming logical, understandable sentences and repeated himself frequently.” Tucker pleaded guilty to the charge on Dec. 28.

Tucker was suspended from the team that day, and his suspension lasted five weeks. He returned to practice on Jan. 25, but was withheld from competition by Coach Todd Lickliter. He sat on the bench for Iowa's last five games but did not play. Lickliter said multiple times that Tucker had a chance to play but he was still evaluating the situation.