UPDATE: Uthoff said Wednesday night that he will join Iowa’s program.

Heh heh heh. That headline was perfectly designed to what we in my business call “cheap heat.”

I have co-workers who are convinced Wisconsin basketball transfer Jarrod Uthoff will walk on at Iowa for the 2012-13 school year, and then spend his three seasons of playing-eligibility there. I have no reason to doubt that.

Uthoff has taken his time in selecting his next college, and has said it’s narrowed down to Iowa and Iowa State. I’m wondering if that is to appease Iowa State’s coaches and fans as much as he can before making his anouncement. Being from Marengo/Cedar Rapids, Uthoff lives among Iowa Staters.

Jarrod Uthoff, in simpler times at Cedar Rapids Jefferson (Mike Hlas photo)

It seems more than possible that Uthoff now feels he hurried into a decision while a senior in high school when he chose Wisconsin. That in no way is meant to criticize Wisconsin’s program, which has been more successful over the last decade than almost all others in the Big Ten. So he may be overcompensating by deliberating over this second college-choice. Maybe he’s trying to think of a graceful way to announce his choice.

Or, maybe he really doesn’t know where he wants to go. It would be easy to understand if that is the case.

Looking at this objectively, what would sell one program over another? Everyone seems to agree the futures of the Iowa and Iowa State men’s basketball programs are bright. Improvement has been shown on the court under coaches Fran McCaffery and Fred Hoiberg, high school recruiting has been good for both so far, there is enthusiasm for the programs among their fan bases, they play in strong conferences, they play an uptempo style of offense — what would separate the decision?

I would think it would boil down to the gut-feelings the recruit felt about the coaching staffs. But if you feel good about both, then on what to you base your decision? I may really be reaching here, I know, but maybe as an Eastern Iowan Uthoff doesn’t have the stomach to spurn the Hawkeyes a second time.

And maybe, also, he really wants to play in Iowa’s program.

As a side note, Uthoff is a player. When programs like Marquette, Florida and Creighton try to get you to consider joining them, as they did this spring, you’re legit.

But back to the headline. If you were Uthoff, would you choose Iowa or Iowa State? And why?

Let’s try to not turn this in to Nonsensical War of Words Between ISU and Iowa Fans No. 244,442. Even though I’m probably inviting as much.