Big Ten Basketball

Rutgers women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer will miss the 2021-22 season with continued concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stringer didn't participate in the Big Ten's media day in October for the same reason.

The Scarlet Knights confirmed Monday that associate head coach Tim Eatman will continue running the 73-year-old's day-to-day duties.

Rutgers had to postpone seven straight games last year due to the Big Ten's health and safety protocols. The team still finished 14-5 overall and 10-3 in the conference before losing to BYU in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

The school announced in April it had extended Stringer's contract through the 2025-26 season.

The Pennsylvania native is one of the greatest coaches in women's basketball. She has collected 1,055 wins over her Hall of Fame career and reached the Final Four with Cheyney State in 1982 and Iowa in 1993 before making two more trips with Rutgers. 

The Scarlet Knights were runners-up to Tennessee in 2007. Their success on the court has leveled off a bit in recent years, though, as the program's last Sweet 16 appearance came in 2009.

In addition to the absence of Stringer, Rutgers has to replace last year's leading scorer Arella Guirantes, who moved on to the WNBA. Diamond Johnson also transferred to North Carolina State. Together, Guirantes and Johnson averaged 38.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

The Scarlet Knights host Saint Peter's in their opener Tuesday.

The Illinois men's basketball team will be without its best player to start the 2021-22 season.

All-American junior center Kofi Cockburn has been suspended by the NCAA for the first three games of the year for selling "institutionally issued apparel and memorabilia" in June.

Cockburn will also be required to repay the amount he received from selling the apparel by donating to a charity of his choice.

Cockburn received the suspension because he sold the memorabilia prior to the State of Illinois and the NCAA enacting the new NIL rules on July 1. Players are now permitted to profit off of their name, image and likeness, and Cockburn would have avoided punishment had he waited a month.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood pointed out Cockburn's situation is unique because he had been going through the NBA draft process when his infraction occurred.

"We are disappointed with the three-game suspension, because there were unprecedented factors and altered timelines related to his decision to ultimately withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to school. ... That being said, we understand and respect the NCAA's decision in this matter, and we will move forward accordingly," Underwood said in a statement.

Cockburn is a preseason All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year selection. He averaged 17.7 points and 9.5 rebounds as a sophomore while shooting 65.4 percent from the field.

Cockburn will be allowed to continue practicing with the Illini while he's suspended. He will be eligible to return for the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City on Nov. 22 against Cincinnati.

Jett Howard committed to Michigan on Wednesday, joining his father, Juwan, in Ann Arbor.

The 6'7" wing is the 37th-best player overall and 11th-best small forward in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2022 class.

Howard said Wednesday's announcement was a "tough decision" because he had been "seriously looking" at Tennessee, per 247Sports' Brandon Jenkins. The opportunity to play for his father was too good to pass up, though:

But it was just the family atmosphere obviously because of my dad. I also feel I will have a good opportunity to play right away. I honestly like how everybody is treated the same around the campus. I paid attention to the little things when it came to this recruiting process and that stood out along with the culture and environment of the program.

Jenkins projected Howard as a starter for a Power Five program, writing he has "a strong frame, a solid motor on the defensive end, and can knock down the open jumper with range." He also praised the IMG Academy star for his shooting and value he provides as an off-ball scorer.

In addition to his dad, Howard will be teaming up with older brother Jace, a sophomore guard. Jace made 11 appearances for the Wolverines in 2020-21 and scored 12 points in 34 minutes on the floor.

With Jett's commitment, Michigan now has the third-best class in 247Sports' composite team rankings. The program is poised to add three other 4-star recruits: center Tarris Reed, point guard Dug McDaniel and power forward Gregg Glenn.

The Wolverines had a somewhat bumpy first season under Juwan Howard, going 19-12 after having won 30 games the previous under former coach John Beilein. They turned things around in 2020-21, winning a Big Ten regular-season title and reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. 

Howard's work on the recruiting trail should ensure that progress continues.

Former University of Michigan basketball star Chris Webber said he received an apology from Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel for how the school handled the fallout from his guilty plea in a 2003 court case involving an athletic department booster.

Webber told ESPN's Myron Medcalf in an interview released Wednesday that Manuel, who was hired by UM in 2016, said the school should have done more to "protect" him after he pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal contempt after paying back former booster Ed Martin over $38,000.

"I was told by the athletic director at the University of Michigan that he was sorry," Webber said. "And he wasn't even there at the time [I was playing]. He told me that he did his research and that he needs to apologize. His exact words [were] he needs 'to apologize to the 18-year-old Chris Webber because we didn't protect him.'"

Michigan disassociated from Webber for 10 years following the case and removed his stats from its record books.

Webber said he further explains the situation in his upcoming book, By God's Grace, and believes he was treated differently because he was the marquee name during the Fab Five era of Michigan basketball.

"I was the lowest hanging fruit," Webber told Medcalf. "I had the biggest name. I knew that then, so hopefully some of the things in [my book] will reveal what happened, how things happened, and hopefully just life can go [on] or it can just get back to normal in that way. Hopefully, once we address all this good stuff, we'll get back to it."

He teamed up with Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson to create the Fab Five, which still stands as perhaps the most famed college basketball recruiting class in history. The star-studded group led the Wolverines to the NCAA title game during their freshman season in 1991-92. UM reached the championship game again one year later, but came up short on both occasions.

While Webber's relationship with Michigan has thawed in recent years, tension remains with Rose because they've decided to handle the Fab Five years differently.

"There has been that rift because Jalen has decided to talk and I've said we should handle everything behind the scenes," Webber told Medcalf. "It was just, it's an honor system. It's a code. And he knows what that is, because that's what we built the Fab Five on, and he did not adhere to that code multiple times. ... All it takes is a 30-second conversation."

Webber went on to get selected with the first overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft. He averaged 20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 blocks across 831 career games with the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons.

Now 48, the Detroit native was selected for the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its 2021 class.

Webber told Medcalf it was a bit frustrating to wait through eight years of eligibility before getting the Hall of Fame call, but it's another piece of a terrific resume he's built after his infamous timeout in the 1993 title game against North Carolina.

"From speaking, all the things I've done, I can show you so much feedback that I have from inspiring people from the timeout," he said. "I want people to know that the timeout didn't crush me."

Webber and the rest of the 2021 call will be inducted Saturday.

Former No. 1 NBA draft pick Greg Oden has joined the Ohio State coaching staff as a graduate assistant, according to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch.

Oden had previously served as a student manager in 2016-17, but now he will have a bigger role under head coach Chris Holtmann in hopes of eventually becoming a full-time coach.

The 33-year-old discussed the opportunity:

I'm thankful, honestly, for coach Holt and his staff who have welcomed me in and given me this opportunity because that’s literally what I want to do is get into coaching. One of the toughest things to do is get your foot in the door, so for them to give me this opportunity while I'm able to actually get a Master's degree in sports coaching from The Ohio State University, which I would love, is something that's just amazing. I couldn't ask for anything better. I'm just so thankful and ready to take advantage of this opportunity.

Oden first came to Ohio State as the No. 1 recruit in the 2006 class. He led the Buckeyes to the national title game in his freshman season, earning first-team All-American honors while averaging 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.

The center became the first overall draft pick in 2007 ahead of Kevin Durant, but knee injuries derailed his career. He played just 105 career games before retiring in 2016.

After some time playing in the Big3, Oden is now set to begin his coaching career. 

Purdue University's Office of Institutional Equity is investigating women's basketball coach Sharon Versyp amid allegations that she fostered a "toxic and hostile environment" with her players and bullied one of her assistant coaches, per Mike Carmin of the Lafayette Journal & Courier. 

The director of women's basketball operations Terry Kix is also named in an internal document for allegedly "cussing out players, and hitting a player's arm and knocking a cell phone out of her hand." The document states that Versyp was "fully aware of Ms. Kix's conduct" but did not put a stop to it.

Among the allegations made against Versyp are that she locked poor-performing players out of the locker room after a game, banned players from talking during a plane trip and regularly called her players "fat." She reportedly singled out one player in front of the team during a film session last year, telling her she was a "(expletive) pathetic leader. Your teammates don't look up to you."

In Feb. 2020, Versyp accused one player of having "attacked [Versyp] and Ms. Kix in an interview about the game" and made life "miserable" for her at the next practice and "made an example" of her in front of the team. 

She also allegedly bullied the coaching staff and at one point told players not to speak with a particular assistant. She also reportedly "unreasonably interfered with the coach's employment."

The accusations run from the 2018-19 season through last year. Five players entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

Versyp, 55, is entering her 16th and final season with the Boilermakers this year, with former Purdue guard Katie Gearlds set to replace her. Her 301 victories are the most in program history. 

Former Iowa State football player Nicholas Kron was arrested on a charge of assault causing bodily injury in connection to an attack on Iowa basketball star Jordan Bohannon, according to Grant Schulte of the Associated Press.

On May 24, the University of Iowa released a statement saying Bohannon had been "physically assaulted" and was being treated for a "serious head injury."

Schulte provided more context on the allegations: "After the bar closed, police said Kron and another person got into an argument outside. Police say Kron walked over to Bohannon, turned him around and punched him three times in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground and causing a cut on his head."

The assault is also the subject of a lawsuit filed by Bohannon, who says Kron "brutally, unlawfully and intentionally" struck him.

Iowa declined to make a statement on Kron's arrest, telling Schulte it wasn't a university-related matter.

Kron made 24 appearances for the Cyclones between 2012 and 2013. He left the program in December 2013 after his redshirt sophomore year.

Bohannon, meanwhile, is returning to Iowa for his sixth year with the Hawkeyes, taking advantage of the NCAA's decision to grant winter sports athletes an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 6'1" guard averaged 10.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 2020-21. He has already played in more games (143) than any Hawkeyes player ever, and he's the school's all-time assists leader (639).

Kofi Cockburn announced Friday he's returning to Illinois after entering the transfer portal ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Cockburn told Joe Tipton of On3Sports about his decision to stay with the Illini after considering a move to Kentucky or Florida State. 

The 7'0" center averaged 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in his two years with the Fighting Illini. He was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2020 and a consensus second-team All-American as a sophomore in 2020-21.

His brief transfer saga comes after the NCAA allowed athletes to move once without having to sit out a season to regain their eligibility. That opened the floodgates for players around the country to change schools.

ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported July 1 that Cockburn had entered the portal.

The 21-year-old told Jonathan Givony of ESPN five days later that he would be staying in college because he "wasn't happy with the input I was getting from NBA teams" and wanted to raise his NBA draft profile.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie wasn't very high on his value at the next level right now:

With the NBA on hold, Cockburn was noncommittal about his next steps from there.

"I'm pretty much open," he said to Givony. "There's a possibility I return to Illinois and a possibility I don't. I want to make a quick decision as soon as possible. I don't want to go back and forth. I'm going to take some visits, but I'm not sure where.

Cockburn explained that Orlando Antigua's move to the Kentucky staff was one of his considerations because Antigua had originally helped recruit him to Illinois.

Having already lost Antigua and assistant coach Chin Coleman, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood would've had a truly terrible offseason if Cockburn followed them out the door.

Underwood has to replace leading scorer Ayo Dosunmu from a team that went 23-6 in the regular season and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

But Cockburn leads a group of returning stars that includes Trent Frazier and Andre Curbelo. Illinois also signed 4-star recruits Luke Goode, RJ Melendez and Brandin Podziemski and added former Florida forward Omar Payne.

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn said Tuesday he's withdrawn his name from the 2021 NBA draft class and will continue to explore transfer options, including Kentucky, after entering the NCAA's transfer portal last week.

Cockburn told ESPN's Jonathan Givony he's "open" to all options and could still return to the Fighting Illini, but his connection to former Illinois assistant Orlando Antigua, who's joined the Wildcats staff, puts UK firmly in the conversation.

"Kentucky? It's a serious option. Antigua is my guy," he said. "I'm going to consider them, but there [are] a lot of schools. I wasn't really focused on that while I was in the NBA draft. Now I can take my time and evaluate it better."

Cockburn put together a strong sophomore season for the Illini in 2020-21. He averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 65.4 percent from the floor across 31 appearances.

The 21-year-old Jamaica native explained to Givony he felt prepared to make the NBA jump but didn't receive the type of response he wanted from the league's decision-makers.

"I think I'm ready for the next level, but I wasn't happy with the input I was getting from NBA teams," Cockburn said. "I didn't want to settle. I'm going to return for another year, raise my game and improve my draft stock."

In a different era, the 7-foot, 285-pound post player would likely be a top-10 draft pick. The NBA game has evolved toward more versatile big men, however, and the 2021 first-team All-Big Ten selection's game is still a work in progress in that regard.

Cockburn has attempted only one three-point shot and dished out just 25 assists in 62 games for Illinois, and he confirmed to Givony those were the most common concerns raised by pro teams.

"NBA teams are going to see my mid-range game next year and my playmaking," he said.

He'd be a welcome sight for any college program, but especially Kentucky as head coach John Calipari and Co. attempt to quickly bounce back from an uncharacteristically poor 9-16 campaign.

The Wildcats ranked 108th in rebound rate last season (via TeamRankings), and Cockburn could provide an immediate boost on the glass.

That said, it sounds like UK will have ample competition for the center in the transfer portal as he tries to find the best program to bolster his NBA stock heading toward the 2022 draft.

The NCAA's revised name, image and likeness rules have led to Ohio State star E.J. Liddell to withdraw from the 2021 NBA draft. 

Speaking to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Liddell explained this was a "pretty difficult decision" but one that makes sense based on his earning potential in college: 

"It's good that I could be making money. That should have been happening for a long time. The coaches are telling me that being the face of this team and one of the most publicized guys in the conference, I could make a really good profit off that. How much, I'm not sure yet. I haven't looked into that enough yet."

The NCAA's NIL policy took effect on Thursday, leading to many student-athletes in all sports announcing they have signed endorsement deals that will allow them to earn money without losing their college eligibility. 

Liddell originally declared for the draft in March, but he said in his announcement that he was going to maintain his eligibility for a potential return to Ohio State. 

Givony noted that Liddell "didn't have a great showing at the G League Elite Camp" and NBA talent evaluators told him to "continue to increase his shooting range and defensive versatility."

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman didn't have Liddell ranked among the top 50 prospects in the 2021 draft class on his most recent big board. 

Liddell was voted to the All-Big Ten first team by coaches during the 2020-21 season. The 20-year-old ranked second on the Buckeyes in scoring (16.2 points per game) and first in rebounding (6.7) last season. 

Ohio State will bring back Liddell, Justice Sueing and Kyle Young from last year's starting five. The Buckeyes went 21-10 and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament in 2020-21 but were upset by Oral Roberts in the first round.