Published: March 26, 2009 06:08 pm         

Jake Kelly to leave Iowa, hopes to be 'closer to home'

TERRE HAUTE — Terre Haute native Jake Kelly, who played half his high school basketball career at Marshall, Ill., and half at Carmel, has “asked and was given his release from the Iowa basketball team,” his father and Terre Haute resident Bob Kelly told the Tribune-Star on Thursday.

“He wanted to be closer to home after the death of his mother this past year,” Bob Kelly said.

Jake Kelly was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore in 2008-09; he twice earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors late in the season. He was the Hawkeyes' leading scorer this past season at 11.6 points per game. He also averaged 3.1 assists while starting 24 of Iowa's 32 games.

“His thoughts about playing in the future are that he’d like to go to Indiana State and play,” Bob Kelly said. “He hasn’t had any contact with the coach yet to know if they would be interested or not. I would guess that would be upcoming shortly.”

It was recently announced by Indiana State that freshman guard Tyler Cutter was granted his release.

“He doesn’t know if there would be any openings,” Bob Kelly said of Jake’s potential to fit in on ISU’s roster.

Jake Kelly moved with his mother Julia to Marshall, Ill., following the divorce of his parents when Jake was in sixth grade. He and his now 19-year-old brother Luke moved with his mother to Carmel following Jake’s sophomore year at Marshall.

Julia and Luke moved to Solon, Iowa, just outside Iowa City, to be close to Jake as the guard began his collegiate career. Julia was killed in the plane crash in Florida in early June of 2008.

“She was definitely his No. 1 fan,” Bob Kelly said. “It was a crushing blow to he and his brother. It was very tough. To even go to college is tough. But to play ball at that level … 

“He’s struggled to play basketball and go to school ... it’s tough enough when you don’t have any tragedies strike.”

Jake Kelly has remained good friends with future ISU walk-ons Lucas and Logan Eitel, who recently led Marshall to the Class 2A basketball state finals in Illinois.

Bob Kelly said that Jake has a lot of family on both sides that live in Terre Haute.

“He’s always been interested in ISU,” Bob Kelly said. “When Royce Waltman was there, he was afraid [Waltman] was at the end of his reign. He really liked Steve Alford [who recruited him to Iowa]. He likes coach [Todd] Lickliter a lot too. He’d just like to get home.”

Jake Kelly did not return calls to his cell phone.