How do they remain academically eligible?

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.

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96 Responses to How do they remain academically eligible?

  1. choppack1 03/23/2009 at 11:06 AM #

    I think UNC had a DB w/ one of the lower scores a few years ago also.

  2. Ed89 03/23/2009 at 11:15 AM #

    I totally agree with the last paragraph. The idea of student-athlete has become a joke. It used to be a joke about qualifying to get in. Now, these borderline students when they are admitted, end up graduating with ease and/or even early. WTF? Most of these top athletes have tutors that do everything for the athlete except actually attend class. In many cases, they may even do that. Granted, most of these “college” courses they take are probably on a 10th grade level. Good post.

  3. Clarksa 03/23/2009 at 11:21 AM #

    Just curious…what ever happened to Duke’s three year degree?

  4. LKNpackfan 03/23/2009 at 11:23 AM #

    From the links: 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.
    Hicks scored an 11. Just, wow.

  5. redfred2 03/23/2009 at 11:39 AM #

    X

  6. wpackman33 03/23/2009 at 11:42 AM #

    sorry to be off topic a bit but wolfpackhoops.com is reporting that Fergie is not coming back next year.
    This may have been already discussed on here but i thought i would bring it up.

  7. Trip 03/23/2009 at 11:42 AM #

    I’m sure this is a problem at every major university with a big-time athletics program. NC state is no exception.

  8. wufpup76 03/23/2009 at 11:53 AM #

    ^Except this would be front page news locally if this were an N.C. State player.

    Where is the “in-depth coverage” of Chapel Hill’s athletic department? Oh, the Raleigh paper’s “hometown” school is N.C. State, not Chapel Hill. So, investigations about integrity and the like should *only* be done about N.C. State.

    But victories and accolades by Chapel Hill are front page news for the *Raleigh* paper. Got it.

    “Raleigh paper here to report that N.C. State athletes stay at a “hotel” built just for them! This only happens in Raleigh!!!”

    And Erskine Bowles suffers from no double standards … SSDD.

    Good post.

  9. Noah 03/23/2009 at 11:59 AM #

    Newsflash! Some collegiate athletes are very stupid people.

    There actually ARE schools out there that don’t create fake majors for athletes. They actually require that athletes get accepted into the university before they can get a scholarship. They take real classes and if they graduate, their diploma means something.

    None of those schools can be found in the ACC. Yeah, Dook…I remembered that you were still here. Ga. Tech is probably the closest to one of those, but only by a little.

    None of those schools can be found in the Big 10, SEC, Big East, MAC, C-USA or Big 12. Stanford saves the Pac-10 from belonging on that list.

    Have you ever seen the practice test for the Wonderlic? It’s not hard. Vince Young scored something like a six on it. Afterwards, his agents tried to explain it by claiming he didn’t understand the test.

    Yes, but he doesn’t understand how to tie his shoes either.

    Nothing’s really changed with Young. Norm Chow told several reporters that they had to spend several practices just teaching Young how to call the cadence and how to take a snap.

    Hicks will spend a couple of years shagging passes and then go back to asking if people want paper or plastic.

  10. Noah 03/23/2009 at 12:01 PM #

    Except this would be front page news locally if this were an N.C. State player.

    You think the three reporters left in North Carolina give a crap about Wonderlic tests? Or do you just think UNC has the monopoly on stupid people?

  11. buttPACKer 03/23/2009 at 12:03 PM #

    Amen, Wufpup. You are spot-on. Were it NC State, it would already have been put out on the AP wire.

  12. janellev 03/23/2009 at 12:03 PM #

    Interesting article. Having formerly been a scholarship athlete at NC State (2000-2005), I can attest to the fact that as athletes, we were presented with a number of ‘opportunities’ to excel academically. There were also those athletes who clearly needed extra help when it came to studying, etc. However, it should be noted that there were a vast majority of us who performed well both in our sport as well as in the classroom. It is really frustrating to know that there are so many people out there who make blanket statements about athletes as being “stupid jocks” because it makes those of us who actually put an effort in look bad. On the other hand, this isn’t to say that certain coaches/institutions don’t make exceptions to get quality athletes into their programs who may not be the most academically gifted. But at the end of the day, it’s up to that individual to make the decision to put the required effort in to excel academically and try to learn something because athletics will only get one so far, and then you’ve got to have something else to fall back on….

    SFN: Thank you so much for your post!

  13. Noah 03/23/2009 at 12:08 PM #

    When TA McLendon got arrested for dealing drugs a couple of years ago, that didn’t make the front page. It didn’t even make the front page of the sports section. It was an inside wire item on the “News and Notes” section.

    http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/702261.html

    That’s far more embarrassing than “Hakeem Nicks Is Retarded.”

  14. choppack1 03/23/2009 at 12:12 PM #

    “Have you ever seen the practice test for the Wonderlic? It’s not hard. Vince Young scored something like a six on it. Afterwards, his agents tried to explain it by claiming he didn’t understand the test. ”

    He retook it and scored a 16!

    Noah – I think something like this strikes a nerve because of the common belief put out there that UNC athletics “does things the right way”. Dave Glenn – and certainly many Tar Heel fans would scoff at the notion that UNC was just another BCS school when it came to the type of student-athletes that they admitted and graduated.

  15. Noah 03/23/2009 at 12:18 PM #

    Well, then those people should be ignored. You are not someone who wants to be taken seriously if you say such things.

    It’s like listening to rap music or glam metal.

    If you’re 15 and wearing a Motley Crue t-shirt, that’s one thing. If you’re 35 and still waiting for that Quiet Riot reunion or still getting worked up over east coast vs. west coast rap…you probably ought to reassess what you’ve done with your life.

  16. wufpup76 03/23/2009 at 12:20 PM #

    “You think the three reporters left in North Carolina give a crap about Wonderlic tests? Or do you just think UNC has the monopoly on stupid people?”

    ^Not my point at all. Chop summed it up pretty nicely.

    I’m well aware that not all “embarassing” N.C. State news winds up on the front page. Some of it does though. How much of “the other school’s” embarassing news winds up on the front page of the local paper? It can be pretty selective at times …

    “God’s Institution does things the right way ALL OF THE TIME. That school in Raleigh is for rednecks, cheaters and retards!!! WE are the last bastion of integrity in all of the ultraverse!”

  17. wufpup76 03/23/2009 at 12:22 PM #

    Thanks for your post, Janellev

  18. wufpup76 03/23/2009 at 12:31 PM #

    “Well, then those people should be ignored. You are not someone who wants to be taken seriously if you say such things.

    It’s like listening to rap music or glam metal.

    If you’re 15 and wearing a Motley Crue t-shirt, that’s one thing. If you’re 35 and still waiting for that Quiet Riot reunion or still getting worked up over east coast vs. west coast rap…you probably ought to reassess what you’ve done with your life.”

    ^Ok Noah, I’m petty and juvenile – I’ll give you that.

    But it gets tiring having to listen to the same mantra, the same perceptions over and over again … both locally and nationally. Not sure how it is to be ignored, it is somewhat inescapable.

  19. Wolf Dog 03/23/2009 at 12:33 PM #

    Last time I saw the numbers. I believe if you spend five years at Duke or UNC, you got over a 90% chance of graduating. Called show up and get an undergraduate degree!

    No secret NCSU is a much harder school to graduate from and a very well respected degree amoung employers. That is why I greatly respect the NCSU athletes that bust their tale both on the field and in the classroom.

    We all realize recruits are admitted under different guidelines. Therefore I greatly respect those that take advantage of the opportunity and try hard to excel and compete in the classroom even though they start at a disadvantage. Many come from broken homes or places you wouldn’t call home, so I am glad they found a way to get in college.

    Noah I don’t see how TA compares to the topic? Is him getting busted any different than Rasheed Wallace for drugs? Why not link that? But leave it to Noah to defend his Heels and slam the pack once again!

  20. choppack1 03/23/2009 at 12:33 PM #

    Noah – Oh yeah, they should be ignored, but those same people sometimes have radio shows and sometimes hold positions of power.

    Let’s face it, Arminjahd shouldn’t have to be taken seriously based on what he says, but because of the position he occupies, you probably shouldn’t simply ignore him.

    There are a lot of popular or widely held beliefs that are simply wrong or exaggerated. The beauty of blogs like this is that you can share information that is contrary the popular belief (or depending on your POV) supports it.

  21. McPete 03/23/2009 at 12:57 PM #

    “No secret NCSU is a much harder school to graduate from and a very well respected degree amoung employers”

    not when you major in parks and recreation management or whatever our version of a BS degree that half our athletes ‘major’ in is called.

  22. Alpha Wolf 03/23/2009 at 1:08 PM #

    The Wonderlic test is hardly the GRE.

    I took it once and laughed because it was so easy. It is a very quick test and requires quick thinking. Nothing I would want to do before I was fully awake or if I were hung over or tired.

    1. A physical education class has three times as many girls as boys. During a class basketball game, the girls average 18 points each, and the class as a whole averages 17 points per person. How many points does each boy score on average?

    2. Randolph has 8 ties, 6 pairs of pants, and 4 dress shirts. How many days could he possibly go without wearing the same combination of these three items?

    3. John is a mechanic. He makes $8.50 an hour, plus $3 extra for every oil change he performs. Last week he worked 36 hours and performed 17 oil changes. How much money did he make?

    4. A box of staples has a length of 6 cm, a width of 7 cm, and a volume of 378 cm cubed. What is the height of the box?

    5. What is the average of all of the integers from 13 to 37?

    6. A basketball player averaged 20 points a game over the course of six games. His scores in five of those games were 23, 18, 16, 24, and 27. How many points did he score in the sixth game?

    7. Arnold is about to go on a 500-mile car trip. His mechanic recommends that he buy a special highway engine oil that will save him 50 cents in gas for every 25 miles of the trip. This new oil, however, will cost $20. Is it worthwhile for Arnold to buy the oil if he has a coupon for $4 dollars off the price?

    Answer Key:

    1. Answer: 14. Since the class has three times as many girls as boys, the class is composed of 75% girls and 25% boys. To find the number of points each boy scores on average, we solve the following equation: 0.75*18 + 0.25*X = 17, where X is the number of points each boy scores on average. Solving for X gives X = 14, so the boys average 14 points per game.

    2. Answer: 192 days. There are 48 different combinations of ties and shirts (8 different ties for each of the 6 pairs of pants), and then four different shirts for each of these combinations. In numerical form: 8 x 6 x 4 = 192.

    3. Answer: $357. John’s base wage can be figured by multiplying his pay per hour by the number of hours he worked: $8.50 x 36 = 306. His bonus for oil changes is calculated by multiplying the payment per oil change by the number of oil changes performed: 17 x 3 = 51. These two products can then be added together.

    4. Answer: 9 cm. Volume is calculated as the product of length, width, and height, so if height is set as Y: 6 x 7 x Y = 378. This can be rearranged to 378 / 42 = Y = 9.

    5. Answer: 25. This kind of problem can be easily solved by simply finding the average of the two extremes in the range: (13 + 37) / 2 = 25.

    6. Answer: 12 points.

    7. Answer: No. Arnold will only save $10 by using the oil (.5 x (500 / 25)), and this is still $6 less than the cost of the oil.

  23. Texpack 03/23/2009 at 1:09 PM #

    My neighbor got her undergrad degree at Wake and her Masters at GT. She tutored athletes at GT, and according to her there were quite a few academically challenged athletes at GT.

    One of the things that V did that really pissed off the academic community at State was to say that State didn’t rank in the top half of the ACC in academic reputation. (behind Duke, Wake, GT, UNC-CH, and UVa presumably)While this was a true statement, it didn’t sit well and it was largely the result of the academic community placing a much higher value on liberal arts degrees than on technical degrees.

  24. TOBtime 03/23/2009 at 1:10 PM #

    If you’re 15 and wearing a Motley Crue t-shirt, that’s one thing. If you’re 35 and still waiting for that Quiet Riot reunion or still getting worked up over east coast vs. west coast rap…you probably ought to reassess what you’ve done with your life

    Noah, I just about spit water all over the computer for this one. Now that’s funny. Chop, I do agree with you though that because of the journalism school and radio & television we don’t get as many ways to voice our opinions. When you can put it in a paper or talk about it on radio some people just believe it’s true. Those same people get sucked into mass marketing (marketing being another degree offered by the hole) and end up wearing light blue. Really, though, they have no idea why. PT barnum nailed it-“There’s a sucker born every minute”.

  25. BJD95 03/23/2009 at 1:12 PM #

    It is the hypocrisy that pisses me off – not the fact that almost every school admits near-functional illiterates. College football and basketball are big business, and should be understood and assessed as such.

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