Cougill 'didn't get my full effort in' at Iowa

NORTH LIBERTY -- Sophomore Brennan Cougill admitted Tuesday night he didn't give a full effort toward academics at the University of Iowa. Now he's paying for it.

Cougill, a 6-foot-9 sophomore post Sioux City, was ruled academically ineligible after a grade appeal was denied. He met with new Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery, who pulled Cougill out of the Iowa youth basketball camp Tuesday morning to deliver the news.

"I knew I didn't get my full effort in," Cougill said. "I could have done way better. It's disappointing. I let my team down, I let my coaching staff and, most importantly, I let myself down. It was a dream come true for me to be at Iowa, and that dream is being taken away."

Cougill said his ineligibility stemmed from an overall low grade-point average rather than failing classes. He took a three-week class in May where he needed to earn an "A" to remain eligible. Instead he received a "B."

Cougill is the second academic casualty for Iowa since January 2009. Then-freshman Anthony Tucker was ruled ineligible for the second semester in 2009 because of a low grade-point average. Cougill's departure is the seventh scholarship player leaving Iowa since March 2009.

Two-year Iowa team captain Jarryd Cole said Cougill has potential and was a good teammate.

"He definitely didn't get done what he needed to get done in the classroom. That's no surprise to anybody," Cole said. "That's what happened. He has to get that situated; it's a personal problem. Maybe it's the atmosphere here, but regardless he has to get that done, first and foremost. He knows that. He doesn't need anybody to sit here and tell him what he needs to do."

Tuesday's announcement comes less than two days after Cougill told The Gazette he was on pace to play for Iowa this fall. “Oh yeah, everything's fine,” Cougill said Sunday when asked if he would be able to play this year.

Cougill will move to Cedar Rapids in August and play under scholarship at Kirkwood. He has one year to improve his grades in order to transfer to Iowa or another Division I school.

"We would like to have Brennan back with us provided he takes care of business,"  McCaffery said in a news release. "That said, we can't guarantee his return to the Hawkeye roster in the future, but plan on re-recruiting Brennan.”

Cougill wants to return to Iowa.

"(McCaffery) said if I prove to him that I want to be here and that I wouldn't be academically ineligible again, he goes they would recruit me," Cougill said. "It's not a guarantee they would have a spot, but he said he wanted me on his team. If I prove that to him, he goes, 'You might have a scholarship to come back here.'"

Cougill played in 31 games and started seven for Iowa last year. He averaged 4.0 points and nearly 15 minutes a game. He was the state's Mr. Basketball in 2009 after leading Sioux City Heelan to the Class 3A state title.

Iowa has a total of 10 scholarship players this year, including six returnees.