Indiana State becoming a haven for ex-Iowans

We all know Iowa's leading scorer last year, Jake Kelly, transferred to Indiana State to live closer to his family.

But Indiana State has Iowa roots beyond Kelly on its roster. Former Iowa center Josh Crawford, famous as a late addition to Steve Alford's final team, is about to become a senior with the Sycamores. Crawford, who stands 6-11, played in 29 games and started five last year for Indiana State. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.5 rebounds a game last year.

Former Iowa assistant coach Greg Lansing begins his third season as associate head coach at Indiana State. Lansing, an Iowa native, served as an assistant coach under Steve Alford for seven seasons.

Indiana State also has some local prep ties. Jordan Printy, a 6-4 sophomore guard from Linn-Mar, started 14 games last year. He averaged 6.9 points and 2.1 rebounds last year. 

Kelly is awaiting word from the NCAA to find out if he is eligible to play this year. Under NCAA rules, Kelly would have to sit out one year as a transfer. But Kelly applied for a hardship that would allow him to play right away. Kelly's mother died in a plane crash in June 2008 and he wanted to live to his family, which hail from that region in Indiana and Illinois. That exemption was granted to former Iowa player Tyler Smith, who left the Hawkeyes to live closer to his father, who was dying of lung cancer.