Rutgers turmoil continues, Ciani Cryor dismissed from team
By Tyler Berry
Two players and a head coach gone in less than a week.
Just one day after Rutgers Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer announced her health-related leave of absence, the school announced that Ciani “C.C.” Cryor had been dismissed from the team.
A redshirt junior, Cryor was the team’s top playmaker, averaging 8.1 points and 5.6 assists in 18 games this season. However, her 2018-19 had been marred by an eight-game suspension due to a violation of team policy.
According to an NJ.com report, Cryor was dismissed from the team due to another violation.
Four days prior to her dismissal, Rutgers kicked senior forward Caitlin Jenkins off of the team after a Feb. 2 arrest. Jenkins was charged with simple assault and criminal mischief, according to NJ.com.
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Like Cryor, Jenkins’ dismissal hurts the program, as she was the team’s leading rebounder (6.8) and also averaged six points per game. The Scarlet Knights now must find ways to make up for both players, while also adjusting to a different head coach.
As reported earlier this week, Stringer announced that she would step away from the team for a few weeks, leaving Assistant Coach Timothy Eatman as her replacement on an interim basis. Through the Big Ten Tournament, he’ll work to pick up the pieces of a team in turmoil, one that lost four of its last five games heading into Monday.
Despite all the problems, Eatman got the Scarlet Knights on the right track with a 20-point win over Wisconsin on Monday night to improve to 19-8 and 11-5 in the Big Ten. Tekia Mack led the team with 17 points, seven rebounds, and four steals off the bench.
Rutgers has two more regular season games: Feb. 28 at home against Minnesota and March 3 at Ohio State.
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