On March 14, 2006, No. 14-seed Northwestern State stunned third-seeded Iowa on a last-second shot in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It's been all downhill for the Hawkeyes since then. They've missed postseason play completely for the past three seasons, and now Iowa will enter the 2009-10 season minus several key contributors from this year's team.
At a Friday press conference, Iowa coach Todd Lickliter announced the departure of four players -- Jake Kelly, Jeff Peterson, Jermain Davis and David Palmer. Kelly, Iowa's starting point guard, led the team with 11.6 points per game this season; Peterson posted 10.6 per game, while Davis and Palmer each chipped in four-plus points per game in reserve roles. Peterson and Kelly combined for 49 starts in Iowa's backcourt.
Asked what he would tell Iowa fans who feel like the sky is falling on the program, freshman Matt Gatens painted a realistic picture.That might be difficult for the Iowa faithful next season. With those four losses, plus the graduation of Cyrus Tate, the team's best interior presence, the Hawkeyes will be scrambling just to stay competitive.
"You can't blame people for thinking that," said Gatens, the second-leading scorer as a freshman and the only player to start every game last season. "We lost four players and have had a few rough seasons lately. But just stick with us."
Kelly decided to leave the team to move closer to his home in Terra Haute, Ind. -- he lost his mother in an airplane accident last summer. The remaining trio all were looking to play bigger roles, according to Lickliter. Iowa is left with just six scholarship players currently on its roster.
