Big Ten Daily (Jan. 19): Penn State Interim Coach Jim Ferry Fined For Violating Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Penn State interim head coach Jim Ferry was given an institutional fine of $10,000 from the Big Ten and a public reprimand for his actions following Penn State’s loss to Purdue on Sunday.
The fine was handed out because Ferry violated the Big Ten's sportsmanship policy. Ferry was assessed a technical foul during the game.
"I was just fighting for our guys,” Ferry said postgame. “I thought some of the calls were a little uneven or inconsistent, whatever you want to call it. I’ve been coaching for a long time. I wasn’t ranting and raving, I wasn’t cursing. I thought there was a little bit of sensitivity on that, but I’ll deal with that differently."
Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour put out a statement Tuesday regarding the fine.
"We are disappointed in Jim Ferry’s actions following the men’s basketball game at Purdue Sunday afternoon. While these actions are out of character for Jim, they are not the example we want to set for the young men in our program nor do they represent the values of Penn State, Intercollegiate Athletics or our men’s basketball program."
Michigan Running Back Enters Transfer Portal
Michigan Wolverine running back Zach Charbonnet has entered the transfer portal.
The running back room is becoming crowded in Ann Arbor, and Charbonnet already saw a drop-off in his carries from 2019 to 2020. His freshman season in 2019, he set a Michigan freshman record with 11 touchdowns.
But last season, Charbonnet only had 126 rushing yards and just one touchdown. Hassan Haskins took over as the main back, and true freshman Blake Corum had more carries than Charbonnet as well.
With Mike Hart coming in as the new running backs coach, and the arrival of Donovan Edwards, the No. 4 running back recruit in the 2021 class, there's not going to be a lot of carries to go around.
Big Time Receiver Announces Return
After Justin Fields and Trey Sermon announced they were declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft, Ohio State got a nice surprise from its best receiver.
Chris Olave announced that he was returning for one final season with the Buckeyes.
Olave had 50 catches for 729 yards and seven touchdowns this past season. In three seasons at Ohio State, Olave has 111 receptions for 1,175 yards with 22 touchdowns.
With Olave returning, Ohio State will have an experienced and explosive receiving core in 2021.
Two Big Ten Matchups Tonight
There are two Big Ten games tonight for men's basketball.
In the early slot at 6:30 p.m. ET, Purdue will play at No. 15 Ohio State. Both teams are currently riding a hot streak right now.
The Boilermakers (10-5, 5-3) are on a four-game winning streak, while Ohio State (11-3, 5-3) has won three in a row. Purdue defeated Ohio State earlier this season in Mackey Arena, and the winner of this rubber match will have the advantage in the Big Ten standings.
The second game of the night features Penn State at No. 22 Illinois at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Ironically enough, the Illini are coming off a loss to Ohio State while the Nittany Lions are coming off a loss to Purdue.
Illinois (9-5, 5-3) is on a two-game skid right now and desperately needs a win to get back in the Big Ten title race. As for Penn State (3-5, 0-4), it is still searching for its first Big Ten win. Illinois defeated Penn State earlier this season, 98-81.
Both games will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Related Stories on Indiana basketball:
- HOW TO WATCH PURDUE-OSU: For all the information on how to watch Purdue versus No. 15 Ohio State, CLICK HERE
- JOEY BRUNK COULD RETURN: Archie Miller doesn't want to shut the door on the possibility of Joey Brunk coming back this season. CLICK HERE
- ARCHIE MILLER RADIO SHOW: For more of what Miller said on his radio show Monday night, CLICK HERE
- ARMAAN FRANKLIN TIME OFF HELPS: Indiana's unexpected time off might just be a good thing for Armaan Franklin. CLICK HERE
- UPDATE ON PARKER STEWART: For the latest on Indiana transfer Parker Stewart, CLICK HERE
