by GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Green Bay men’s basketball junior Sandy Cohen III (Oneida Nation) has been granted an NCAA waiver, receiving an additional year of athletic eligibility to be used in the 2018-19 season, the team announced on Friday. Cohen III will become eligible to play in his first game this season on Dec. 21 versus Bowling Green at the Resch Center, and will play out the remainder of his redshirt-junior year in 2017-18.
The native of Seymour, Wis., came to Green Bay from Marquette in December 2016, before sitting out the 2016-17 season due to NCAA Division I transfer rules. Cohen III has been practicing with the team since that time and traveled with the team to Puerto Rico in August, where he averaged 11.0 PPG and led the team in rebounding with 5.5 RPG.
“This is great news for both Sandy and our program. He has been with our team now for almost a year and has been working extremely hard on the court, in the weightroom and in the classroom. We can’t wait to get working with our team next week and we look forward to having Sandy as a part of our program for the next two years,” head coach Linc Darner said.
Cohen III will be ineligible for the first 12 games of this season, after transferring mid-season last year, but will be eligible in his first game as a member of the Phoenix on Thursday, December 21, against Bowling Green.
A top-100 national recruit out of high school in 2014, Cohen III committed to Marquette University and played two full seasons for the Golden Eagles. During his standout career at Seymour, he was named Player of the Year his senior season and was named All-State.
Cohen III will be one of two juniors on head coach Linc Darner‘s roster, joining JUCO-transfer forward Sukhjot Bains. Khalil Small and David Jesperson are the lone seniors for Green Bay, with the seven remaining players on the roster being underclassmen.
Green Bay will hold its first official team practice on Monday, Oct. 9 and will face Ripon on Monday, Oct. 30, for its exhibition game at the Resch Center. The Phoenix officially opens the regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Northern Illinois.
