Iowa losing four players and a recruit?

Iowa head coach Todd Lickliter sends Jake Kelly (32) into the game during the first half at Drake's Knapp Center in Des Moines on Dec. 20, 2008. Iowa lost 60-43.

Iowa head coach Todd Lickliter sends Jake Kelly (32) into the game during the first half at Drake's Knapp Center in Des Moines on Dec. 20, 2008. Iowa lost 60-43. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

   IOWA CITY – At least four members of Iowa’s men’s basketball program – all of whom started at least five games last year – are either transferring to another school or rumored to consider leaving Iowa.
   Guard Jermain Davis confirmed Wednesday he will transfer to Minnesota State-Mankato, a Division II school following the spring semester. Guard Jake Kelly, who twice was named the Big Ten’s player of the week, appears likely to leave for a school closer to his home in Indiana.
   People close to Jeff Peterson said the sophomore point guard is considering leaving for Missouri State, a school in his hometown of Springfield, Mo. Junior David Palmer, who graduates in May, also might leave the team.
   In addition, Marshalltown junior Chanse Creekmur, a 2010 recruit who committed to Iowa last August, decommitted from Iowa on Tuesday.
Kelly carries the highest profile. In Iowa’s final seven regular-season games, he averaged 20 points a game. Twice he was named the Big Ten Player of the Week in final three weeks of the regular season. He finished the season as the Hawkeyes’ leading scorer at 11.6 points a game.
   Kelly’s father, Bob, said Wednesday he didn’t want to comment about his son leaving the team – yet.
   “Well, I really haven’t been informed about any official announcement so I’d hate to comment,” Bob Kelly said. “I’d be glad once anything comes out about him leaving or what he’s doing. I just wouldn’t feel right stepping in front of Jake on that.”
   Attempts by The Gazette to reach Jake Kelly were unsuccessful. Kelly told HawkeyeNation.com he could neither confirm nor deny that he was transferring to another school.
   “I really can’t say right now,” Kelly told the Web site. “I’d really rather not talk about it right now.”
   Feb. 23, Kelly was named Big Ten Player of the Week after scoring 23 points, dishing nine assists and grabbing eight rebounds, all while playing 45 minutes in an overtime win against Michigan. He followed that with a pair of 20-point performances in losses at Michigan State and Northwestern. In the regular-season finale against Penn State, Kelly played 47 of 50 minutes in a double-overtime upset win against Penn State. He scored 22 points, dished 11 assists and grabbed four rebounds – all with a 101-degree temperature and a sinus infection.
   Kelly’s likely transfer contradicts what he told reporters March 9.
“Of course I considered that when my mom died, yeah,” Kelly said. “That’s probably where they get that from but this is where … I’m here, where I’m going to be.”
   Kelly’s mother, Julia, died in a plane crash last summer, and Kelly thought about leaving at that time. If Kelly transfers to a Division I school Indiana, he must sit out one year of competition.
   Davis, who now will play for his fourth college in four years, started 11 games and averaged 4.6 points this year for Iowa. He notified Coach Todd Lickliter on Monday about his decision.
   “I think it just wasn’t a fit really,” Davis said. “I didn’t really know my role. I didn’t understand it. Ultimately, what kind of made me make the decision was that I wasn’t happy.”
   Davis said he got along with Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter and didn’t have a problem with the coach personally. Lickliter met with players throughout Wednesday afternoon but was unavailable for comment.
Davis did say he didn’t like the team’s style of play and how he was used on the court. Davis will be able to play right away.
   “I felt like I did have a way short leash compared to other people,” he said. “I kind of felt like … I just didn’t have the chance to really showcase my game – except for one game.”
   Peterson started the season’s first 25 games before pulling his right hamstring and missing the final seven. He suffered a broken left wrist against Ohio State in the Big Ten opener. The wrist injury required surgery.
   Peterson averaged 10.6 points a game and led the team in assists. One person close to Peterson said “most likely” Peterson would go to Missouri State. If Peterson goes to Missouri State, he would have sit out one season.
   The defections are mounting for Lickliter, who will lose his three top leading scorers in three consecutive seasons should Kelly leave the school. Last year’s leading scorer, Tony Freeman, left for Southern Illinois. Within weeks of Lickliter’s arrival in 2007, Tyler Smith transferred to Tennessee. Freeman, an all-Big Ten third-team selection, averaged 13.8 points a game. Smith averaged 14.9 points and was named third-team All-Big Ten and to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
   Other players not returning in Lickliter’s tenure include Dan Bohall, who started seven games last year, didn’t return this year. Brett Wessels and Josh Crawford didn’t return following the 2007 season.

9 Responses to Iowa losing four players and a recruit?

  1. mike says:

    With this news I’m sure you will have to look at everybody on the roster. Will Tucker also look to get out after a trying year. Heck, even Matt Gatens has to think if he should bolt for a better situation. I honestly wonder how Lickliter can survive all of this. It seems like nobody he has brought to Iowa, or he inherited from Alford, really enjoys playing for him. Looks like another season of empty seats at Carver, very few wins and Lickliter banging his forehead in frustration

  2. EP says:

    You might have to ad a new best/worst moments of this season to your previous list….

  3. […] Iowa losing four players and a recruit?    IOWA CITY – At least four members of Iowa’s men’s basketball program – all of whom started at least […] […]

  4. Sandy says:

    I am wondering when Lickliter will just give it up, it is quite apparent that he is just not cutting it. You have guys that are big ten players of the year wanting to leave, then there are guys going to Division II schools. It is obvious that there is a problem with Lickliter.

  5. […] is the second Iowa men’s basketball player leaving the program in as many days. Wednesday, guard Jermain Davis announced he was transferring […]

  6. c s says:

    You have to wonder what is going on in IC. Losing 5 players in one year. Wow!

    You lose you top scorer 3 years in a row. Double WOW!

    EVERY team in the Big Ten will be better next year and most the year after. Iowa is going to be worse next year. I guess you can’t really get any lower. Granted we did finish above Indiana, who beat the Hawkeyes, BUT they return everybody and have four 4+ star recruits coming in for next season….

  7. royal says:

    Wessel and crawford, sounds like these two and Bohill did the team a favor. Now losing Palmer and davis is like getting rid of a sore tooth, and peterson has to really feel the coach is looking for a point guard that can dribble and chew gum at the same time. kelley would have been a good hold. but so would Smith.

  8. I read your blog for quite a long time and must tell you that your posts are always valuable to readers.

  9. […] Iowa had four open scholarships for 2010. In fall 2008, Sioux Falls (S.D.) Roosevelt forward Cody Larson committed to Iowa. Shortly thereafter, Chanse Creekmur from Marshalltown committed (and later decommitted). […]

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