NCAA tourney ineligibility for poor graduation rates..interesting

[jesmu84]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=duncan/100325

Proud to be an alumni of a university where we don't have to worry about this.

[ZMovieman]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=duncan/100325

Proud to be an alumni of a university where we don't have to worry about this.

I agree. And I am frankly shocked at the backlash I've heard at this proposal. I hope it goes through, not to penalize any one school, but to make schools accountable.

[mu-rara]

There's a lot of baloney about how 1 and dones hurt the grad rate, but there has to be accountability built in.  Some of these one and done schools have grad rates below 25%.  I think 50% would be reasonable.

[jesmu84]

There's a lot of baloney about how 1 and dones hurt the grad rate, but there has to be accountability built in.  Some of these one and done schools have grad rates below 25%.  I think 50% would be reasonable.

agree that at LEAST 50% should be reasonable. personally i think it should be more like 75%. you're going to recruit a kid and give him up to 100K+ in scholarship money and not have him graduate? ridiculous. penalize those who can't get these kids to graduate within 6 years, especially with all the extra help they receive.

also, according to the article, kids who leave early to play in the pros (assuming they leave in good academic standing) don't count against their graduation rates. but really, how hard is it to keep a kid in "good academic standing" for a year?

[Tugg Speedman]

12 scholarships on a team.  To achieve a 40% graduation rate, you need to graduation the last five on the bench and none of the first seven.

If you cannot graduate the last five, are you really trying?

[ZMovieman]

There's a lot of baloney about how 1 and dones hurt the grad rate, but there has to be accountability built in.  Some of these one and done schools have grad rates below 25%.  I think 50% would be reasonable.

According to the editorial by Duncan, both transfers and early defection into the professional ranks do NOT count against your graduation rate (assuming they were in good academic standing when they left).

[PaintTouches]

According to the editorial by Duncan, both transfers and early defection into the professional ranks do NOT count against your graduation rate (assuming they were in good academic standing when they left).

Neither does transfering to another school, as long as the player leaving is in good academic standing.

[SacWarrior]

It amazes me the arguments that ESPN talking heads have come up with against this proposed graduation rate minimum. They claim that there are some kids that go to big time programs that are only interested in making the pros, and therefore should be exempt from classwork. Considering only about 1% of even major conference players make the pros after graduation, it seems to me that the other 99% should be working their asses off to get a degree to fall back on. These kids are unbelievably lucky to be in the position to graduate with a degree from these schools, and they don't even have to pay a cent for it. The programs should do everything in their power to maximize graduation rates, not complain about a proposed law that might keep them out.

If you're only graduating 31% of your players over a 6 year span, like Kentucky is for example, then you really have bigger things to worry about than possibly not making the tournament next year

[cheebs09]

I think it is a good idea in theory. However, I just think that it will bring a lot of cheating in order to get graduation rates up to the level needed to avoid punishment. With the pressure to get to the tourney I think we will see some schools jump up from very low to making it with ease.

[PaintTouches]

http://marquettetribune.org/2010/03/23/carousel/athletes-cl-322-smm-1-knh-2-jmc3-hold-for-s/

Pardon the self promotion but I figured I could pimp out this story that took forever to write, here. It's a look at Marquette student-athletes so not completely on topic but does touch on grad rates and such.

[warriors1991]

I absolutely think there should be repercussions for poor graduation rates. Or for poorly maintaining academic performance. I worry that there will be cheating, maybe even on the part of teachers, but nothing's perfect. I personally would love to see the worst of the worst get ineligibility penalties. And I agree with previous writer, the ESPN arguments against it were lame. They're basically worried about losing all their cash cows haha.

I have a feeling that making a team ineligible will be difficult to pull off, but how about this: 1)Make them ineligible for their conference tourney. So they'd have to get an at large bid only. And they can't rake in the $$ from the conference tourney. And 2)Make the 'ineligible' teams travel to difficult sites to play their games, even if they're the higher seed. Let high graduation rate teams play at their home sites if they're a host.  Or nearby their homes. Even if they're low seeds. Make the Kentuckys of the world travel out to San Jose and play some local west coast teams instead of always screwing guys like us with it.
It will send a statement: Make your kids study and keep up their grades and we'll reward you in the postseason with a better than fighting chance to win some games.

[rocky_warrior]

I have a feeling that making a team ineligible will be difficult to pull off, but how about this:

Too complicated.  Take the original seeds, multiply by the graduation %, and re-order.  It would be a good way to honor the true student athletes who make the tourney.

But it'll never happen...

[bma725]

Too complicated.  Take the original seeds, multiply by the graduation %, and re-order.  It would be a good way to honor the true student athletes who make the tourney.

But it'll never happen...

Somehow I think we'd see the first ever 1-16 upset if that were to happen.....and I have a feeling the 16 would be coached by Bob Huggins.

[Tugg Speedman]

http://marquettetribune.org/2010/03/23/carousel/athletes-cl-322-smm-1-knh-2-jmc3-hold-for-s/

Pardon the self promotion but I figured I could pimp out this story that took forever to write, here. It's a look at Marquette student-athletes so not completely on topic but does touch on grad rates and such.

Nice story

This part is amazing, who pn the women's track team was NOT All-Academic?  They have more than 32 athletes on the team? ....

Marquette had 100 student-athletes named to the Big East All-Academic Team last year. Every sport was represented with the women's track and field team leading the way with 32 representatives.

[muwarrior69]

I would like to see a rule where if no one graduates from the team in any given year that athletic scholarship must be offered as an academic scholarship. Once that person graduates the team would get that scholarship back.

[TallTitan34]

Too complicated.  Take the original seeds, multiply by the graduation %, and re-order.  It would be a good way to honor the true student athletes who make the tourney.

What happens when Huggy Bear pulls off a 0% graduation rate?

[GGGG]

I think it is a good idea in theory. However, I just think that it will bring a lot of cheating in order to get graduation rates up to the level needed to avoid punishment. With the pressure to get to the tourney I think we will see some schools jump up from very low to making it with ease.

I agree with you 100%.  Ultimately it is up to the integrity of the school and the coach.  If the NCAA starts to regulate based on graduation rates, the amount of academic fraud that would take place would increase substantially.  I know the NCAA likes to give lip-service for the student athlete, but let's be real here.  Many would not be in college anywhere if it wasn't for the fact that they are a good basketball player.  Now, we'd essentially give them some phony degree to make sure the rates stay up?  I'd rather do nothing and simply publish the rates like they are doing now.  If their coaches, their administration and their fans don't care, why should I?

All this would do is water down what MU accomplishes with its student athletes now.

[goodgreatgrand]

I recall reading a thread on here not long ago in which people said Gary Williams runs a good program. I wish I could find that thread so I could tar and feather those fools.