Two starters of the ISU men’s basketball program said they will leave Iowa State if Larry Eustachy is not the team’s head coach next season.

Point guard Tim Barnes and forward Jackson Vroman, who were among the leading scorers on last season’s squad, said they’re willing to transfer if Eustachy is fired or asked to resign.

“If he’s not back, I’m not back,” said Barnes, after he and several other team members met with ISU Athletics Director Bruce Van De Velde for more than 20 minutes Tuesday afternoon.

Barnes said Vroman shares his opinion and wasn’t sure if more players would go to that extent. Vroman said if Eustachy is not at Iowa State next season, several players leaving the program is a “definite possibility.”

Issues surrounding Eustachy’s behavior following a trip to Missouri in January and his actions at a party on the Kansas State campus in January 2002 have ignited a national firestorm. On Monday, Eustachy admitted that alcohol played a part in his actions and that he is addressing that matter with the support of his family.

On-court leader and team captain Jake Sullivan said he would stay at Iowa State if Eustachy is replaced. He said he supports Eustachy on a few conditions.

“If he gets help, I want him to be our coach,” Sullivan said. “If he’s willing to give everything he has to this program and nothing else, then I want him to be our coach.”

Sullivan said that includes alcohol counseling if Eustachy’s problems are that serious.

Van De Velde declined to say whether Eustachy needs counseling for an alcohol problem. He said he has not made any decision regarding any disciplinary action for Eustachy.

“We’re assessing the situation as information is made available,” Van De Velde said. “We’re talking to a lot of people that are involved with the university whom this affects. There are a number of stakeholders that this impacts.”

He said there is no timetable for a decision.

“We’re going to take our time and try to make the right decision as we assess this, looking at our different options,” Van De Velde said.

Jared Homan said the players called a meeting to discuss the issue Tuesday. He said players also met with President Gregory Geoffroy to express their feelings and another meeting was called by Van De Velde to discuss the situation Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve addressed the situation and talked as a team,” Homan said. “I think the general consensus is that we wanted coach to stay and be our coach. We’re behind him.”

Barnes said Geoffroy listened as each player spoke about their feelings in the meeting.

“Everybody individually talked about Coach Eustachy and how good of a person he is and how much he means to everybody,” Barnes said. “We kind of poured out our personal feelings.”

Eustachy, who was on a recruiting trip in Louisiana, spoke with the players over the phone Monday. Vroman said the fifth-year head coach apologized to the players for putting them in this situation.

“He was mainly calming us down,” Barnes said. “We were the ones that were kind of emotional about it.”

The players offered various opinions on why Eustachy should be allowed to remain as head basketball coach. Barnes, for one, said he thinks the issue has been blown out of proportion.

Vroman said, “If one lapse of judgment is enough to remove him after five great years of coaching, I don’t agree with that at all.”

Sullivan said it’s up to the administration to decide what happens to Eustachy, but said the players’ opinions will be considered.

“I think they’ll listen to us, but that’s why they get paid their salaries is to make those decisions,” Sullivan said.