Adam Haluska, a starting guard for the ISU men’s basketball team, put an end Tuesday to rumors of him considering a transfer.

The sophomore-to-be, who averaged 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for Iowa State last season, had been the topic of conversation on message boards and talk radio because of his absence from public team functions since former head coach Larry Eustachy came under fire in late April. Some wondered if he was considering leaving the school after just one year.

“It was just all totally false,” Haluska said from his home in Carroll. “It was a lot of things that people were reading on message boards and newspapers that totally weren’t true.”

Since the controversy surrounding Eustachy began on April 28, Haluska had been a no-show for team meetings and the May 14 press conference announcing Wayne Morgan as Eustachy’s successor. Haluska, who was among the best freshmen in the Big 12 last season and one of Iowa State’s top three-point threats, said he was busy honoring his own commitments on those occasions.

“A couple times I had tests that I had to go to,” Haluska said. “I also had some speaking engagements back in Carroll that I had planned in January.

“[When the Eustachy story broke] it was semester test time and I take that stuff kind of serious. I just tried to make sure that I could keep a level head and get things done that I needed to get done.”

But rumors circulated that Haluska’s decision to stay back from the situation — and his decision not to comment publicly about it — was a sign he was considering a transfer. Haluska said Tuesday it was all just that — a rumor.

“I didn’t really see a reason for making a statement about staying at Iowa State when I hadn’t said anything about leaving,” Haluska said. “[During the search for a coach] I was just trying to keep things in perspective. We didn’t really know what was going on at Iowa State. There were a lot of unknowns out there.”

Teammate John Neal called Haluska last week because he was concerned about the rumors. Haluska said he told Neal that there was no reason to be concerned about him leaving Iowa State.

Haluska said he and his father, Steve, met with donor and former ISU basketball player Gary Thompson before Morgan was hired to discuss the future of the program. Haluska hinted Tuesday that he did have concerns about his future as a Cyclone.

“We just talked about Iowa State, the future of it and what kind of a direction it was headed in,” Haluska said. “The main thing was keeping everyone together and making sure the decisions that were made were in the best interests of Iowa State.”

Thompson, a 1957 All-American and strong supporter of ISU athletics, said the meeting took place in Ames on May 12. He said Haluska was concerned that the program could be in trouble in the future if many of the recruits backed out of their commitments when a new coach was hired. According to NCAA rules, a school can bring in no more than five recruits in one year or eight in a two-year span.

Thompson said he tried to give the Haluskas some perspective from the side of Iowa State during the two-hour conversation. He told the Haluskas there was no need to make any hasty decisions.

“I told them to jot down the things they were concerned about, whether it was one through 10 or one through 20, and let the next coach explain himself,” Thompson said. “He just had some concerns and I tried my best to answer those concerns. I tried to give him some advice from an Iowa State standpoint.”

Morgan convinced recruit Damion Staple to honor his commitment to Iowa State Monday. Three other recruits reaffirmed their commitments last week.

The announcement from Haluska ends speculation that Eustachy’s departure would affect the current recruiting class or the status of current team members.

“I think a lot of players are just looking forward to next year,” Haluska said. “We’re definitely a group. Everybody just needs to come together. We’re all going to be successful next season. We just need to stick together on this.”

Thompson said he is glad Haluska will be back next year. He said athletes like Haluska who have character and great athletic ability are important to retain in the program.

“I’m thrilled that he’s going to be back,” Thompson said. “I think it’s a good decision on his part.”