Kentucky & academics like oil & water

College Basketball22

The Dagger has an interesting blog entry titled: “Kentucky flopped in the classroom in Calipari’s first season”

According to records obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky had a cumulative GPA of 2.025 for fall semester, lowest among all 20 teams at the school. That was also the worst semester GPA a Kentucky men’s basketball team had posted since the Wildcats had a paltry 1.68 in spring 2002.

Of the nine SEC schools who revealed their basketball team GPAs to the Herald-Leader, the other eight all outperformed Kentucky, though LSU’s 2.15 wasn’t much less embarrassing. Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State declined to release their team GPAs.

[snip]

Kentucky fans have been quick to come to Calipari’s defense when others question his recruiting tactics, but this report should be universally condemned. At best, it’s a bad omen. At worst, it’s the start of a disturbing trend.

Really? Who in their right mind expects Kentucky fans to ‘universally condemn’ anything? I found the following stick out to me:

“It’s not something we’re happy with, I’ll tell you that,” Kentucky senior associate athletic director Sandy Bell told the Herald-Leader. “And we’ll be working on it to get it up. We certainly anticipate that going up in the spring semester.”

First, what I actually gleaned from that^ quote was more along the lines of the following: “It’s not something we’re happy with, I’ll tell you that,” Kentucky senior associate athletic director Sandy Bell told the Herald-Leader. “And we’ll be working on it to get it up. (as we will do an even better job of getting these players in the easiest classes possible with the most basketball-friendly professors that are available.)”

And, to publicly say that “We certainly anticipate that going up in the spring semester.” is quite a public statement. Regardless of the ‘spin’ that comes out of Lexington, I would love to know the truth regarding the spring semester class attendance of the likes John Wall & DeMarcus Cousins. REALLY? These kids really went to class in the spring?

The only way that GPA improves in the spring is if dropping classes and not carrying hours serves to carve away many courses that would have otherwise have been included. (Update 8pm) The Big Lead chimes in with some similar thoughts.

None of this should come as much of a surprise. When the four freshman arrived on campus, it was safe to assume that at least two of them would leave for the NBA. Last month, all four decided to. With the Wildcats basically playing two games a week from January-March, can you imagine what the team’s cumulative GPA for the spring semester will be? We’d set the over/under at 1.5.

To use a contrast and give credit where it is due, one of the conditions of Coach Lowe’s recruitment of JJ Hickson three years ago was that Hickson had to promise/commit to continue going to class throughout his spring semester, even if he was turning pro. This was very important to Coach Lowe and he helped make it very important to JJ and his family.

Little things like this do not often make it out into the mainstream. But, Coach Lowe’s strong academic record is something that should not be ignored.

The Wolfpack’s basketball squad scored a 995 out of a possible 1,000, which is the highest score among the 12 ACC schools and in the top 10 percent of all NCAA Division I schools. The APR measures the progress towards graduation of all players on a given team.

Teams that do not meet a minimum score of 925 face NCAA scholarship sanctions.

That’s not a worry for Lowe, whose team was just five points short of perfection.

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22 Responses to Kentucky & academics like oil & water

  1. MrPerfectionest 05/02/2010 at 4:10 PM #

    Can we stop caring about academics for basketball and football? We pay these kids so that our Universities can earn revenue via the sports programs. If they want to put in the additional work to get a degree, excellent for them. But as a sports fan, I care only that the playing field is level so if other schools don’t have their kids going to classes, I don’t want ours having that either.

  2. Derek Medlin 05/02/2010 at 4:44 PM #

    Mr. Perfectionist,

    Is that a serious statement?

  3. wufpup76 05/02/2010 at 4:46 PM #

    I’m a firm believer in giving credit where it is due (especially when people are freely criticized), and by all accounts that I’ve seen Coach Lowe and the staff have done a tremendous job on the academics side of the equation. Kudos for that.

    As for the “student athletes” and the programs themselves, everybody knows this is Big Business. I know the NCAA is desperate to avoid the slippery slope of “pay for play”, but MrPerfectionest brings up a good point about level playing fields. I don’t favor paying college athletes above and beyond free education and room and board, but I don’t have any answers as to how to enforce the myriad rules and regulations of the NCAA.

    I’m sure most in the NCAA orginazation have the right ideals in mind (after pocketing television revenues, of course), but most everyone knows there are some shady aspects to big time college sports. How do you clean it up?

    Hell, even in a power conference like the ACC no one outside of Durham or Chapel Hill feels like there is a “level playing field”. (Of course, that has more to do with the ACC honchos than the NCAA … but I digress).

  4. MrPerfectionest 05/02/2010 at 5:10 PM #

    Yes it was a somewhat serious statement. It was a selfish comment in that I care not one bit about the degree some other individual may or may not get. I do care about having competitive basketball and football teams. We all know that certain individuals and schools bend the rules and the ones that bend them the most have an edge. Be this in recruiting, practice time, etc. If at NCSU we want to make the statement that we will not stoop to the level that other institutions do, then I’d like a refund of all the money I’ve donated because we’ll never be able to really compete against programs that use tactics that we won’t so long as no cop exists to bust these institutions. And so long as massive dollars are on the line, do you think there is going to be any self policing from the NCAA? Hell no.

  5. The Grinch 05/02/2010 at 6:37 PM #

    Is it better to go low on a high level or high on a low level? How about we go for high on a high level.

  6. wolfmanmat 05/02/2010 at 6:44 PM #

    If we had 5 underclasman leaving for the draft our GPA would suck too. These kids technically don’t even have to show up for class in fall semester if they are freshman and know they are 1 and done. However, I hope for his own sake CJ is smart enough to go to class next year, even if he intends to be one and done; it is smart to keep options open. You never know when one more year of school will be required/needed/wanted depending on NBA rules/draft stock/injuries. The smart 1 and done kids go to class until the draft.

  7. El Scrotcho 05/02/2010 at 7:12 PM #

    Example #876 why the baseball-style draft would be superior to the current system in NBA/college.

    Take it seriously for at least 3 years or don’t show up in the first place.

  8. whitefang 05/02/2010 at 8:02 PM #

    Put me in Mr. Perfectionist’s camp. I care just as much about the GPA’s of the basketball (or football) team as they cared about my GPA when I was at State. In fact as I remember a lot less people were, in fact, caring about my GPA as were caring about their’s. Outside of my parents and me I don’t think anyone else cared a bit. No one sent me a tutor when I struggled and no one designated any study time. I was on my own. I do care about a competitive team however, and frankly these kids are guaranteed an opportunity at an education (for free) to provide one. Notice I did not say guaranteed an education. What they decide to do academically should be between them and their parents – as mine was.

  9. Tiew 05/02/2010 at 8:57 PM #

    If colleges don’t pay kids I think it’s important to care about academics and graduation rate. If an education is the only thing they’re getting in exchange for their valuable skills I don’t want to see them missing out on it.

  10. highstick 05/02/2010 at 10:12 PM #

    Flips and Flops..I still believe that college athletics should be about student/athletes. I’m giving you an opportunity to get a 4 year education as a football player. I expect the same out of you as I do a trumpet player in the jazz band. The difference is that I’m paying all of your tuition, room, board and I’m only paying $500 of his. Therefore, you are expected to practice during the season(as is the trumpet player), you are expected to attend class and maintain an acceptable grade point average(as is the trumpet player). You are expected to stay out of trouble and abide by whatever laws that are imposed(as is the trumpet player). At the end of the season, I’d bet the trumpet player put in more hours!!!

    In exchange, you will be given an opportunity to display your talents on a field of competition(as will the trumpet player). In the event that you display extraordinary skills, you may be given the opportunity to gain employment with a professional organization, as is the trumpet player), such as the NFL or NBA and you may be compensated based on that organization’s evaluation of your potential and marketability(as with the trumpet player). If that organization or group of organizations, such as the NBA or NFL, decides that they are willing to pay you one hundred times more than the trumpet player, then that is a decision by the other organization based on their assessment of economic value and marketability.

    To the extent that we sell tickets to events that you participate in at a higher price than the concerts in which the trumpet player participates in, we hold that to be our perogative as a education university. The reason being is that you are a bigger pain in the ass, act like idiots on occasion(but not as often as the trumpet player), require much more attention which would include tutoring, counseling, etc. The costs and risks of your athletic team are much more than the band. Wow, you embarass the University on a regular basis by violating alcohol, drug, and many other laws! I know it happens in the band, but sure doesn’t get much publicity in the N&O!

    So get over it, play ball and be appreciative of the opportunity to attend college! If not, go do some of those jobs that Americans won’t do and help us with illegal immigration by doing so.

    Should you decide to act responsibly and not demand to be put on some higher pedestal that only an irresponsible person would condone, then we’re behind you all the way.

    Granted, this solves none of the issues with those who ignore and wear Carolina Blue, but screw this training ground for animals!!

  11. Texpack 05/02/2010 at 10:20 PM #

    There are excellent athletes out there that cover the entire academic and character spectrum. It is always an added bonus if the kids that play for NC State excel in the classroom. I think it’s really a shame when an athlete is given the opportunity to earn a free college education and fails to take advantage of it. For a lot of athletes who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to earn a college degree, getting that sheepskin can change their family tree for generations.

    As for those who think athletes are exploited, I’m about to start writing tuition checks this Fall. If someone out there wants to exploit my son by paying for his education in exchange for playing a sport please contact me.

  12. haze 05/03/2010 at 8:09 AM #

    Kudos to Sid, especially with Hickson. I hope we continue that success as our recruiting improves. It just has to be more difficult to maintain that performance when you are getting more early departures.

  13. waxhaw 05/03/2010 at 9:13 AM #

    I have a few questions for those of you that think our academic reputation is hindered if we don’t stress academics with our major revenue sports teams.

    1) Is it hindered when marginal students are allowed in due to their athletic skills?

    2) Is it hindered when those same marginal students come in and graduate with a great GPA?

    3) Is it hindered more or less if a marginal student can graduate with a GPA of 3.0+?

    4) How much does the academics of a handful of major sports athletes really reflect on the overall academics of the institution?

    5) Before you say SEC, think about the academic reputations of some of the universities in the SEC (Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia)

    6) If you create a major with 20 less credit hours or no math and little substance required to graduate, is that any less of a hindrance to your reputation? (keep in mind that anyone could take this major, let’s call it african american studies to pull something out of the “blue”)

    7) Lastly, how has this standard helped our current academic reputation given that we are ranked a lot closer to most of the SEC schools than ACC schools in the current US News & World Report rankings?

    Personally, I think they should be required to go to class and do decent but I am more concerned with a level playing field. You can’t hold your coaches/teams to one standard and expect them to compete with people who have lower standards.

  14. GAWolf 05/03/2010 at 9:40 AM #

    Cal is getting ripped this morning in the media for making some osrt of jilted phone call to a recruit this weekend. Anyone know the story there?

  15. one00_proof 05/03/2010 at 9:58 AM #

    ^— Probably Terrence Jones. There were “rumors” that Calipari called Terrence Jones right after he committed to Washington saying something to the effect of “You hurt thousands of people just as much as you make people happy.” The call did take place, but it’s unconfirmed about who initiated the conversation.

    Jones is obviously unsure about his commitment because he did not sign his LOI after committing so imo, I think he’s Kentucky bound. Calipari is trying to guilt the guy into committing to Washington and it looks to be working. Kentucky fans were even saying he should do the same thing to CJ Leslie.

  16. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 05/03/2010 at 11:13 AM #

    I find it strange and almost creepy that some people actually care about the grades of basketball and football players.

    College students grades are absolutely no one’s business other than the student, parent, and institution.

    Anytime I see a story about an athletes grades in the paper I want to publish the reporters child’s GPA and let the web have at their kid.

  17. GAWolf 05/03/2010 at 11:53 AM #

    ^ That’s a very valid point.

    Either they stay eligible or they don’t. That’s all that should concern us unless academic casualties become the norm or something underhanded is done that tarnishes the image of the institution.

    That’s a very, very valid and interesting perspective.

  18. Rochester 05/03/2010 at 12:19 PM #

    Here’s a link to a Seattle Times story on the Calipari call.

    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/stevekelley/2011764453_kelley03.html

    The dude is a scumbag and I’m glad he’s not our coach, even if we would have a better record. When we finally make it back to the Final Four I don’t want to have to “vacate” the trip three years later.

  19. Mike 05/03/2010 at 3:43 PM #

    Why should Mr Perfectionest care about grades when he cant even spell “perfectionist”?

    Do I care about GPA’s of the individuals? I do care about the reputation of my university and my diploma proudly hanging on my wall.

    I would MUCH rather field a team of true student athletes with fewer wins than a bunch of thugs with a D average (that is given to them at that) that win 20+ games.

  20. VaWolf82 05/03/2010 at 4:51 PM #

    The GPA of an athlete does absolutely nothing to devalue my degree. I never had a single interview where Chris Washburn was ever mentioned.

    It’s also hard to care about an athlete’s GPA IF (and I stress IF), their course work is in a degree that won’t lead to gainful employment. I would rather have athletes get a PE degree that would qualify them to teach in junior/senior high than something that is designed to nothing more than keep them eligible or make it easy to graduate.

  21. waxhaw 05/03/2010 at 4:56 PM #

    Mike — I’d be curious as to your thoughts on the questions I posted above.

  22. packalum44 05/03/2010 at 11:21 PM #

    Regardless of anyone’s opinion, its the coach’s job to field student athletes who meet minimum academic standards and WIN. He seems to deserve a raise.

    Everyone hates him (including me) because he’s so good its disgusting. If he gets caught with his pants down great, bust his ass and I’ll be a happy guy. Don’t get your hopes up though, I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t know the NCAA rule book like the back of his hand and doubt he’ll cheat again…he’s at friggin Kentucky you don’t have to cheat to get recruits to go there.

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