Well…we can add the name of Hakeem Nicks to the ever-growing list of UNC-CH athletes who find academic matriculation at UNC-Chapel Hill significantly easier than daily tasks such as simultaneously thinking and breathing.
Nicks will enter the powder blue’s ‘Pantheon of Paradox’ with a seat firmly entrenched between the likes of Kevin Madden, Rasheed Wallace, Jeff McInnis and so many other Tar heel athletes who rushed towards graduation without a hiccup despite intellect that wouldn’t grant them admission into some local high schools.
I saw the Chicago Tribune’s article yesterday but didn’t have time to post this entry until it just came across my RSS reader through the Wiz.
Wide receivers: NFL teams would like for receivers’ test scores to be about 18, but several of the top prospects fell below that mark. Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech scored 15, Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland scored 14, Percy Harvin of Florida scored 12 and Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina scored 11. The test result is particularly interesting in the case of Harvin, who will have more learning to do than the others based on the offense he played in at Florida and the fact he could be used in multiple roles. Jeremy Maclin of Missouri was outstanding by comparison with a 25 test score.
Among people of various professions, chemists score an average of 31, journalists 26, clerical workers 21 and warehouse employees 15. A score under 10 is an indication of literacy problems.
The Chicago Tribune reports Hicks scored an 11.
How would YOU do at the Wonderlic? Take a Practice Test here.
Remember Antawn Jamison’s two-year quest in high school to reach the all-important (ACT equivalent of) 700 on the SAT that he miraculously satisfied on the last attempt of his senior season while taking the test at the McDonald’s All-American game? Despite these troubles to achieve the most remedial of scores, ‘Tawn’ managed to not only remain eligible during the demands of collegiate basketball, but to earn enough credit hours to still graduate with ease despite foregoing his senior season in Chapel Hill.
At the rate the Chief is going over there in Chapel Hill, there is no telling what the value of that Carolina degree will be worth when all is said and done.
…please cue ‘Washburn’…’Shackleford’…and the ensuing math lesson that will result from explaining to our friends that NC State’s (1) academic issues were some 25 years ago; (2) dumb athletes not only failed to graduate – thereby not diluting the integrity of the degree – but usually encountered at least some form of academic difficulty that often impacted their eligibility.