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COVID-19 concerns immediate Stringer to skip huge Ten media day

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rutgers ladies's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer gave affiliate head train Tim Eatman a transparent, concise message for the huge Ten's ordinary media day.

center of attention on basketball — no longer her absence.

It was a nearly unimaginable assignment for Eatman, the alternative for the seventy three-12 months-historical Stringer who skipped the experience on account of COVID-19 considerations.

"appropriate before I left, she said to me, 'Tim, don't let this press conference be about me. retain the click conference concentrated on the avid gamers and the crew,'" he observed. "I pointed out, 'good enough.' I took a deep breath and that i noted to myself, 'respectable success with that, Timothy Eatman.'"

Stringer is a member of the ladies's Basketball hall of fame, the fifth-winningest train (1,055) of all-time and the primary Black educate with 1,000 victories. She's a 4-time closing 4 participant and has a large country wide presence.

Eatman additionally stuffed in the different two times Stringer sat it out — first on account of her mother's demise and later while on a depart of absence for exhaustion.

This time, it became about her family unit's fitness.

group spokesman Mark Choquette defined Stringer become involved in regards to the lack of checking out this season compared with closing season, the extremely contagious nature of the delta variant and her desire no longer to transmit the ailment to her 40-12 months-historical daughter, who has required special care due to the fact that contracting spinal meningitis at age 2.

Stringer additionally has now not been running follow or offseason workouts. Eatman has.

"I for my part do not consider there is going to be any difference," ahead Osh Brown spoke of. "Her blueprint speaks to every single one in every of us."

Rutgers has finished third in league play two of the closing three years and has won 535 video games and made 18 NCAA tournament appearances in Stringer's 26 seasons.

Eatman served as appearing head educate for the final six common-season video games at the end of the 2018-19 season, main Rutgers to its first huge Ten match championship video game and into the NCAA tourney.

"nobody can fill her role," safeguard Lasha Petree said. "however here's really the crew she trusts with train Eatman and the different assistants."

back domestic once again

Fred Hoiberg has made two journeys back to Indianapolis on account that fitting Nebraska's teach. On Thursday, he returned to the Indiana Pacers' home court docket — the crew he started his NBA career with.

Hoiberg on no account performed during this venue however in March 2020, it turned into here Hoiberg grew to be visibly sick during a big Ten event game towards the Hoosiers. He went to a close-by sanatorium and though he didn't have COVID-19, it turned out to be the remaining game of the tourney as a result of the pandemic.

still, an Indy travel at all times brings again particular reminiscences for Hoiberg.

"after I walked in, I saw a picture of Mel Daniels, who's truly the man that drafted me," he stated. "to look Reggie Miller's name up there. Roger Brown, Slick Leonard, to see his graphic, such a great person and a man that I had a lot of surprising instances with. at all times have incredible memories of this area. We adored it here. We cherished our time."

altering times

large Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren desired to supply the girls's and men's teams equal time this week so he changed the schedule. The women's coaches spoke first, adopted via the guys's instruct from the equal school and all over breakout classes, coaches and gamers spoke on the identical time.

Most welcomed the choice, which Warren noted could be replicated at men's and women's pursuits in different sports.

"I really feel or not it's about time, the identical days as the guys," Petree stated. "Equality, this is an enormous thing."

changing LUKA

Iowa train Fran McCaffery may have the huge Ten's toughest job — changing conference player of the year Luka Garza.

or not it's no longer practically finding a fill-in for his productiveness. McCaffery must find a person who can continually deliver in grab moments, too.

"He was so talented at understanding something we were doing," McCaffery spoke of. "you are taking that for granted after a while. if you have him for four years, it makes coaching less complicated. Who goes to step into that role? We don't have any person 6-foot-eleven that's going to standard 20 points a online game."

OUT OF action

Iowa middle Sharon Goodman is expected to pass over the complete season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament throughout the Hawkeyes' first follow, educate Lisa Bluder referred to Thursday.

Freshman Addison O'Grady is expected to substitute the 6-foot-three sophomore because the basic backup to core Monika Czinano.

"That turned into a large loss," Bluder noted. "Sharon become playing top notch. last year she shot 55% from the box, she become a huge backup to Monika as a result of she changed into so mighty. She changed into taking part in at an improved stage this yr, this summer season, than remaining 12 months. i used to be definitely anticipating huge things from Sharon."

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