CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Kofi Cockburn scored 21 points and hauled in 10 rebounds to help No. 25 Illinois over Michigan 68-53 on Friday night. Both teams struggled from distance in a foul-plagued first half, combining to go 1 of 20 from 3-point range. DeVante’ Jones had 17 points for Michigan and pulled the Wolverines within six points with his jumper with 5:16 left. Trent Frazier scored 18 points for Illinois, including 16 in the second half. Michigan was without star center Hunter Dickinson due to an undisclosed medical issue.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The nation’s longest-tenured FBS head coach plans to stick around even longer as University of Iowa officials said they were extending Kirk Ferentz’s contract through the 2029 season. Iowa on Friday announced the four-year extension that followed a 10-4 record in 2021. It was Ferentz’s 23rd season at Iowa. The university said Ferentz would be paid $7 million a year. That includes a $500,000 base plus $5.5 million in supplemental compensation and a $1 million “longevity bonus.” The contract will expire on Jan. 31, 2030. Ferentz has 178 career wins, placing him first for victories at Iowa and fourth in Big Ten Conference history. This year’s season ended in a 20-17 loss to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum is skipping his senior season and entering the NFL draft. The consensus All-American was the Big Ten’s offensive lineman of the year and received the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center. He also was a finalist for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy. Linderbaum started 35 consecutive games at center. He is projected to be a first-round draft pick and the first center selected.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State coach Ryan Day continued to revamp his coaching staff by hiring of two defensive assistants Friday. Tim Walton, a former Ohio State player who spent the last 13 years coaching in the NFL, most recently with the Jacksonville Jaguars, was added as cornerbacks/secondary coach. Perry Eliano, who coached cornerbacks for the past two seasons under Luke Fickell at Cincinnati, will be the new safeties/secondary coach for the Buckeyes. The Bearcats’ national-best pass defense helped them advance to the College Football Playoff.
UNDATED (AP) — Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips says now is not the time for College Football Playoff expansion. Phillips told reporters on a conference call that with the NCAA about to embark on a transformation of Division I, CFP expansion should not be the priority. He also cited the continuing need for federal legislation regarding name, image and likeness compensation for athletes. Expansion talks among conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director stalled last weekend. Hopes for implementation of a new format by 2024 are dimming, but have not been pronounced dead.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Maryland assistant basketball coach Bruce Shingler faces charges of procuring or soliciting prostitution or assignation, according to online court records. The school said Wednesday that Shingler was suspended 30 days for a violation of his employment agreement — and the athletic department would not comment further. According to court records, Shingler has a trial date of Feb. 28 in Maryland District Court. The incident date listed for the two charges is Oct. 14, 2021.
