Junior forward Kendall Cooper will not be enrolled at Duke next semester and will miss the remainder of the season, the program announced Saturday.
Cooper was averaging 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and provided an interior defensive presence for the No. 13 Blue Devils, swatting 1.2 shots per contest. According to the release, the 6-foot-4 forward will be eligible to return in the fall.
“While this is an unfortunate experience, I am confident Kendall will learn from this and be a better person because of it,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said in a press release. “Kendall will remain a part of the Duke women’s basketball family and will receive the full support of everyone in our program.”
Cooper's departure marks another blow for the Duke frontcourt, pegged as a strength for the Blue Devils this season. The program announced Nov. 22 that graduate student forward Amber Henson would take an indefinite leave of absence from the program.
With Cooper no longer available, classmate Oderah Chidom and redshirt freshman Lyneé Belton will likely take up the majority of her minutes.
Duke plays its first game without Cooper Sunday at No. 8 Kentucky at 7 p.m.
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