JerShon Cobb suspension: Academics forced Northwestern guard off team

Northwestern Wildcats guard JerShon Cobb, who was suspended for the 2012-13 season in late September, was given the punishment as result of academic issues, it was reported Thursday.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that substandard grades were at the center of Cobb's year-long suspension, and the junior, who will have two years of eligibility remaining at Northwestern, is beginning to work on improving his marks.

Cobb was also suffering from a hip injury that was limiting the distributor in the lead up to the 2012-13 season. Both circumstances had Northwestern coach Bill Carmody worried about Cobb. The junior could return to practice with the team in mid-December, according to the report.

"He's a nice kid and a lot of people on campus want him to succeed," Carmody told the Tribune. "I hope he gets it."

As a sophomore in the 2011-12 season, Cobb averaged just more than 20 minutes per game, contributing 7.1 points and 1 assist per game, on average, to a Northwestern team that finished just outside of the NCAA tournament.