Lucca Staiger quit the basketball Tuesday night. He left because an opportunity to play professional basketball in Germany became available, and he took it.

Judging by responses on the CycloneFanatic message boards and the sheer number of Facebook statuses that changed in unison, Iowa State’s basketball fans were shocked, to say the least.

Priorities have to be questioned when a decision like this is made. Yeah, there’s a lot of money at stake. However, you have to wonder how well Mr. Staiger will sleep the next few weeks. Let’s summarize the most popular arguments:

1) You don’t abandon your team with 14 games to go. You just don’t.

2) What about your teamates, who may have “dreamed” of playing in the NCAA Tournament? What about all the work they’ve put in to get you the ball?

3) What about your coach who gave you a chance to play? His job is being increasingly called into question. You’ve fanned the flames.

4) What about the fans, who have tolerated your mind-numbing eligibility mishap, poor defense and inconsistent shooting for two seasons, only to see you leave town?

5) New questions have now arisen regarding supposed premature dealings with an agent which may lead to NCAA’s actions against Iowa State.

Now what, Mr. Staiger? With one massive swipe, you’ve simultaneously burned every bridge you built here in Iowa. We trusted you, we tolerated you, we supported you, we loved you and what did we get in return?

We got Chiz-ed! Again!

In time, the fallout from this decision will become visible. For now, everyone will put on a happy face, act tough and say “good riddance.”

But the truth is that Lucca Staiger spurned us, and it hurt. We can pretend all we want, but losing the team’s third–best scorer isn’t a wound that simply scabs and heals.

Wether you agree with Lucca’s choice, and whether you can honestly say you wouldn’t do the same thing, it’s fair to say the timing couldn’t be worse.

Plagued with injuries and off the court squabbles, a player jumping ship only deepens the hole. If you plan on leaving your job, you give your manager two weeks notice as a courtesy. Forcing others to scramble and reassemble the pieces while the team is in Texas for an away game is downright rude.

There’s really not much more to say. It was a terrible situation, compounded with equally terrible timing.

Now more than ever we need to support this team. The Cyclones face No. 3 Kansas in Hilton Coliseum on Saturday. Wear gold, bring friends and don’t leave early.