Mizzou Basketball Head Coach Kim Anderson added to his staff on Friday as Paul Rorvig, an associate director at the NCAA Eligibility Center the past four years, was named Director of Basketball Student-Athlete Development.

In his role with the Tiger Basketball program, Rorvig will serve as a team liaison for academics and compliance, while also assisting with the team’s video operations.

Rorvig brings a unique combination of college basketball and NCAA Eligibility Center knowledge to the program. The Odessa, Mo., native played collegiately at Lafayette College and the University of Central Missouri before moving into a graduate assistant coaching role for the Mules in 2005.

In 2010, after a three-year stint coaching and teaching at Shawnee Mission North High School, Rorvig began working for the NCAA Eligibility Center. While in Indianapolis he helped manage the high school review process, assisted in educational outreach efforts for the national office and conducted reviews for high schools exhibiting academic irregularities.

“We have been aggressive putting together our staff and being able to attract Paul and bring him back to the state of Missouri is a tremendous addition to our program,” Anderson said. “Paul has a wealth of knowledge in a variety of areas and that’s what makes him such a great fit for Mizzou Basketball. He has a strong background in the game and played and coached for us at Central Missouri. He also has great insight into NCAA compliance and Eligibility Center issues. He will be a tremendous resource for us in our everyday operations including recruiting, video operations and game preparation.”

A former player and graduate assistant coach under Anderson at Central Missouri, Rorvig graduated from UCM with a pair of degrees. He earned his undergraduate degree in Social Studies Education (2005) and completed his Master’s degree in Secondary School Administration (2007). On the hardwood, Rorvig earned three letters for the Mules (2002-05) and played in 69 career games.

“I’m incredibly excited to be coming home to the state of Missouri and want to thank Mike Alden, Coach Anderson and everyone at Mizzou for this tremendous opportunity,” Rorvig said. “Growing up in the state, Mizzou Basketball holds a special place in my heart and to have a chance to work for Coach Anderson and the program on a daily basis is a dream come true. I also want to thank everyone at the NCAA. I had some great colleagues in Indianapolis and appreciate all the work we put in together over the last four years.”

In high school Rorvig played for former Tiger Jed Frost at Odessa High School. He finished his prep career with 355 career three-point makes, then a state record. He also recorded Odessa High School records for career points (1,877), three-point percentage (.392) and blocked shots (172). His 905 career three-point field goal attempts ranks 11th all-time nationally in high school basketball history.

— MU Sports Information —

The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has suspended University of Missouri sophomore wide receiver Levi Copelin from athletic competition for the 2014-15 season.

STATEMENT FROM LEVI COPELIN

“The reason I am suspended is that I recently bought an over-the-counter nutritional supplement from a local store, and used it as part of my workout routine.  Unfortunately, I used it without clearing it with my strength coaches or trainers.  This supplement is legal and available to the public, but it isn’t approved by the NCAA, and as a result of using it, I failed an NCAA drug test.  This was a stupid mistake on my part, and I’m very sorry that I put myself and my team in this situation.  This is a hard lesson to learn, as I never had the wrong intentions. I also understand there aren’t any shortcuts to success.  There’s nothing I can do except dedicate myself to representing me, my family, my team, and Mizzou the right way going forward.  I’m very grateful to my coaches and my teammates for giving me a chance to overcome this.”

STATEMENT FROM HEAD FOOTBALL COACH GARY PINKEL

“This is a very unfortunate situation, but one that Levi created for himself.  He’s paying the price for this mistake, and I commend him for owning up to it and taking responsibility.  Our strength coaches and trainers rely on our players to be careful of what they do on their own, and to always get approval from them first.  We’re disappointed that Levi didn’t follow this guideline, but we will support him during this time, and have high expectations that he will handle all of his responsibilities in the classroom, in the community and on the field in a first-class manner.”

— MU Sports Information —