Feb. 02--Illinois basketball starters Rayvonte Rice and Aaron Cosby remained suspended as of Monday afternoon.
Coach John Groce declined to specify a timeline for their return or discuss the nature of the suspension. The guards, who both had been out with injuries, were suspended indefinitely before Saturday's game against Penn State.
Illinois faces Rutgers at State Farm Center on Tuesday night but Groce did not say whether the players would return.
"They're indefinitely suspended and that's where it's at," Groce said Monday at a news conference. "That's between me and them."
Cosby, who has been out with an eye injury, has been medically cleared to practice. Rice, who broke his hand and underwent surgery, is performing in non-contact drills. Groce said Rice's return to practice was paced due to the suspension.
In other news, Illinois sophomore guard Malcolm Hill was named the co-Big Ten player of the week after scoring 27 points against Penn State.The last Illinois player of the week was Rice on Dec. 30.
Michigan State's Branden Dawson also was honored.
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