Considering that the press conference started at 3:30 in Hilton Coliseum, 3:44 seemed a bit late.

The guy with the short haircut, wearing the white crew sweater and dark pants, and sitting to my left asked it.

"Larry, where does Shane’s departure hurt you the most?’’ he asked.

Pause.

Larry Eustachy, Iowa State’s basketball coach, pondered his answer.

"I told my wife that name would come up,’’ Eustachy said. "I think this will be the last time Shane Power’s name will come up.’’

Maybe. Maybe not.

Power, of course, is a former Cyclone player. Coaches really don’t really like talking about former players—especially players who left the way Power left.

Eustachy obviously didn’t want to talk about it today on the same floor where Power had been a pretty good Big 12 Conference player.

But his departure from Iowa State’s basketball program last spring took on a life of its own, so Eustachy knew he had to have an answer.

Take it to the bank and bet your last bottle of orange juice that Eustachy always has answers.

"You know, I think we’re a better team when guys leave who don’t want to buy into this program,’’ he said, "so I look at (Power’s departure) as a positive. It’s not a knock on Shane, but I firmly believe that people leave because they don’t believe in what’s being done.

"Even though reasons weren’t given, I think that’s pretty clear-cut. If you’re excited where you are, if you like your role, like who’s around you, you stay. Obviously, that wasn’t the case….

"I may be wrong, but you want to have guys who want to be here and who believe in what we do and how we do it….’’

It was plain to see that Eustachy hasn’t been wasting any time wondering what might have gone wrong with Power, who averaged 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and led the team with 73 assists and 37 steals last season.

Power has transferred to Mississippi State, where he is sitting out the 2002-2003 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules.

Jake, who has lost 20 pounds and could have a monster season for the Cyclones, thinks Power did the right thing to quit.

Sullivan indicated he knew all along that Power wasn’t happy as an Iowa State player.

"We were very close friends,’’ Sullivan said. "This program is very demanding, and it’s not for everyone. It wasn’t for him. He went on, and hopefully he does good at Mississippi State.

"He wasn’t happy here. Sometimes that brought bad team chemistry (last season).’’

Those words tell me that Power’s decision to quit didn’t come the night after Iowa State closed a (12-19, 4-12 in the Big 12) season last March.

Those words tell me Eustachy knew all along that Power wasn’t a happy camper and that he wasn’t about to say, "Shane, come back!" when he saw the kid heading out the door.

Most preseason publications are picking the Cyclones to wind up in the second division of the Big 12 standings, but at least Athlon says they’ll take their ninth-place finish into the NIT.

Ninth place won’t satisfy Eustachy or Sullivan. Iowa State’s fans are looking for more, too.

"We’re further ahead than we were last year,’’ Eustachy said. "We have better competition. But our team has to accelerate its toughness. My No. 1 question is how tough can we get mentally and physically?

"I think we can beat some teams that people say we’re not supposed to beat.’’

Sullivan, who averaged 16 points last season, said he decided to lose 20 pounds so "I could be a better all-around player. I want to win basketball games and help get this program back to the top. I wanted to be quicker.’’

Sullivan said he lost the weight the same way our doctors would tell the rest of us to lose weight.

"I changed my eating habits,’’ he explained. "It’s pretzels instead of chips, fat-free frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. New habits and a lot of running."

He said the toughest thing to quit eating were the chips.

"I could sit down and eat chips, chips, chips,’’ Sullivan said.

"First of all, I got a great head-start after the Missouri game, when I ballooned to 231,’’ he said. "I took this job at 200, then got to 231. I’ve doubled my exercise and cut down on my calories.

"Pete Taylor (Iowa State’s play-by-play announcer) gave me his diet, and it worked out well. But the weight will be back on, trust me. By December, I’ll be bigger than a cow.’’

Vroman, a 6-10, 220-pound transfer from a place called Bountiful, Utah, is not bigger than a cow.

He also plays basketball much better than a cow.

"I love Jackson. He’s relentless,’’ Eustachy said. "He almost has to be wound down. He averaged four fouls in 19 minutes in junior college (at Snow Community College in Utah). I told him you’re only allowed five fouls here, too.

"He’s not overly skilled as a shooter, but I’ve never seen a guy who’s been so relentless in the first eight days of practice. He’s really competitive and feisty.’’

Vroman’s dad, Brett, was a member of John Wooden’s last national championship team at UCLA in 1975. He later transferred to UNLV.

Speaking of UNLV, Jackson Vroman said former Runnin’ Rebels coach Jerry Tarkanian visited Ames and attended three recent Iowa State practices.

"He’s been traveling around the country, watching teams practice,’’ Vroman explained. "It was fun to talk to him.’’

The guy getting the ball to Vroman and the others will be Barnes, a 6-foot point guard who transferred from junior college. He was one of the best in the nation last season, and Eustachy is counting on him in a big-time way at Iowa State.