Friday came and went with no official announcement about a coaching change in the Alabama basketball program. The rumor mill, however, doesn’t wait for official announcements.

It’s no secret that Avery Johnson’s future in Tuscaloosa has long been uncertain. UA’s slide to bubble status, missing the Big Dance and then exiting early from the NIT did not help Johnson’s cause. Thursday night, AL.com’s Michael Casagrande reported that Johnson and Alabama were negotiating his buyout.

Neither party addressed the buyout report, but that’s not going to stop the rumor mill. Iowa State coach Steve Prohm has been linked to the job. Prohm addressed the speculation after No. 6-seed ISU fell 62-59 to No. 11-seed Ohio State in Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament, according to USA Today’s George Schroeder.

“There’s nothing to say. I want to be the best coach at Iowa State, that’s it,” Prohm said. “My athletic director (Jamie Pollard) is standing right there, he knows that. I love this job. I’m blessed to be here, first and foremost. I love Amex. There is no story. I’m trying to be the best coach at Iowa State and see if I can be here for a long, long time.”

Prohm, 44, began his college basketball playing career at Division III Oglethorpe before transferring to Alabama to work as a student assistant and student manager. He graduated from UA in 1997. ISU won the Big 12 conference tournament this past season, Prohm’s fourth as head coach of the Cyclones (83-53). He notched a 104-29 record in four seasons at Murray State.