SALT LAKE CITY — Two players have been granted their release from the University of Utah basketball program and a third could be released next week.
Meanwhile, Ute coach Jim Boylen said rumors of his being a candidate for the open Iowa job are overblown and that he is happy being the coach at Utah, where he has been for three years.
Boylen said Thursday from Arizona that seldom-used players Jordan Cyphers and Matt Read would not be returning to the program.
"Nobody likes to have guys leave their program," Boylen said. "We have let Cyphers and Read be released to go where they want. They are both good kids and good students."
When asked if any other underclassmen might not be returning, Boylen said a player "who didn't play much" may also be leaving the program and he would know next week. That player is presumed to be backup guard Chris Hines.
As for his own job status, Boylen brushed off rumors about being in the mix for the open job at Iowa. He said he has been out of the state recruiting and couldn't do anything about rumors.
"They've got an open job and they may have an interest in me," he said. "Today, I'm very thankful to be the head coach at Utah."
While Boylen didn't deny that he might have an interest in the Iowa job if it were offered, he also said hasn't interviewed with anyone. When asked if it was likely he would still be the coach at Utah next year, Boylen said, "yes" and added, "I am very happy with the job I have."
After winning last year's Mountain West Conference championship, Boylen talked to Arizona and Memphis about open jobs but signed an extension to his contract at Utah with a substantial raise.
Boylen can't say who he's recruiting, but he's looking for a point guard and a shooter for next year's team.
In the cases of Cyphers and Read, both were beat out by other players, which limited their playing time.
After being a backup guard the year before, Cyphers was beat out by freshman Marshall Henderson and Jace Tavita for a guard spot. After averaging 2.9 points on 32.5 percent shooting (20 percent from 3-point range) in 16 games, Cyphers, who was the Kansas player of the year in 2007-08, never left the bench for the final 12 games.
Read, who came in as a JC player from Texas, played in some early games, but once Jay Watkins got healthy, he was relegated to the bench most of the season. In 16 games, he averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game.
Hines played sparingly early in the season, but over the last seven games averaged 7.7 points in 17 minutes of action.
The players will finish the semester at Utah, which means it won't affect the basketball program's Academic Progress Rate (APR).
According to Utah's assistant athletic director for compliance Kyle Brennan, the program's APR will not be affected as long as the players leave with at least a 2.6 grade point average and don't leave before the semester is over.
The basketball program had a perfect 1,000 score last year and is well above the minimum of 925 over a four-year period.
e-mail: sor@desnews.com