All's quiet on the Eastern Iowa front

IOWA CITY - One day after hell and high rumors broke lose surrounding the Iowa men's basketball program, everything remained at a standstill Friday.

Todd Lickliter remained the men's basketball coach, perhaps in name only. Iowa's players and coaches were nowhere around Carver-Hawkeye Arena and most had fled on spring break. They could have a different coach by the time they return to campus.

Uncertainty swirls around the program for Lickliter and his players. After the team suffered its season-record 22nd loss, Lickliter told reporters Thursday it wasn't his choice as to whether he wanted to return. At that time, he said he hadn't discussed his future with Athletics Director Gary Barta.

“We just talk about ... the task at hand,” Lickliter said. “We haven't met on anything of that.”

Gary Barta and Lickliter stayed in Indianapolis on Friday, one day after the Hawkeyes were bounced from the Big Ten tournament. Barta was scheduled to speak at a retirement party for outgoing Michigan Athletics Director Bill Martin, and Lickliter is from Indianapolis.

It's unclear whether Barta and Lickliter planned to meet in Indiana. Barta viewed Thursday's loss to Michigan from a luxury suite but did not appear at Lickliter's postgame news conference. Instead, he praised the players in a prepared statement that did not mention Lickliter or the coaching position.

Lickliter signed a seven-year contract in 2007 for $1.2 million in annual salary and supplemental income. If he's fired without cause, Iowa would owe him $600,000 per year left on his contract, amounting to $2.4 million. Iowa would pay him in three installments, the first one month after the date of termination and the other two due June 30 of each succeeding year.

Losses, transfers and attendance issues have plagued the Lickliter era since he arrived in Iowa City in April 2007. He has a 38-58 record and holds the two losingest seasons in school history. Paid attendance dipped to an average of 9.550 this season, the lowest at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Nine scholarship players have left the program under Lickliter's watch, including leading scorers the last two seasons.

Sophomore Matt Gatens, the team's leading scorer and son of former Hawkeye Mike Gatens, expresses frustration with the season and his career. He described his relationship with Lickliter as “very professional” but said the season had come to an embarrassing finish. He highlighted losing former teammates as a problem for the program.

“Obviously, when you have guys leaving left and right it's tough to have things intact and going in the right direction,” Gatens said this week. “It's tough to put in a system like coach is trying to do. it's tough when you have guys leaving. I think definitely if those guys could have kept the group together, it would have been a lot easier.”

The transfer issue remains at the forefront alongside Lickliter's future. Six players were polled Thursday about whether they'd stay or go, regardless of Lickliter's future. Matt Gatens, Aaron Fuller, Andrew Brommer, Brennan Cougill and Eric May said they'd stay. Freshman point guard Cully Payne said he was committed to Lickliter and he's uncertain what he'd do if Lickliter is fired.

“I know that I came here to play for Coach and our staff, and we've got four great guys coming in,” Payne said. “With the freshman class, I know me, Eric and Brennan, that's coach's first class he recruited. We've got a great, true foundation and we're excited for Coach, so we're kind of by his side the whole way. I can speak for us freshman class and the whole team that Coach is our guy.”

Recruits Devyn Marble and Ben Brust scorched with chatter on Twitter, asking and receiving questions about the future. One tweet from Brust read: “Twitter is asking me “what's happening?” and I answer I wish I knew.”

Marble tweeted: “i feel like alot of the hawk fans r concerned bout me leavin if lick leaves.”

The future remains uncertain for everyone.