NCAA Tournament Graduates... sad

[texascajun]

"Only 23 men's teams in the 65-team NCAA Tournament managed to graduate at least 50 percent of its student athletes" ~ESPN.com

This is pathetic. I know, I know... our team is one of them... BUT the bolded quote in the article does not put us in Louisiana's academic cellar:

"Two men's teams, LSU and Minnesota, failed to graduate even one basketball player, according to numbers supplied by the 2004 NCAA Graduation Rates Report. No. 1 seeds Illinois (47 percent) and Washington (45 percent) graduated less than half their players."

Myles Brand (NCAA President) and others must bring down penalties to correct the college game through the classroom. With each passing year, the emphasis/debate in NCAA sports has been geared toward TV revenue dollars and conference realignment...when it should be about getting kids graduated. Then again, fans don't want graduation rates, they want W's ...and they want them at any cost.


http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney05/news/story?id=2014449

[lxa656]

i agree with everything your are saying, but the thing about basketball over other sports that makes it so difficult, is the fact that the better players are taken out of school so soon! I can imagine Dukes avg is not so great either, but when you lose people like luol deng as a frosh...it screws your avg up. There is such a small concentration of Seniors in basketball as opposed to other sports.

[texascajun]

valid point taken. But the numbers are just as bad in football...and there is an age limit on the NFL Draft. Too many athletes view college as a stage for "the league" as opposed to an opportunity to obtain a "paid for" education. A professional career is highly unlikely for most players, but one day every athlete will have to make a living without their athletic ability... thus the long-term value found in a college education.

[lxa656]

Understand that completely and do not disagree for one second! However, just to make a point, (even though I agree it shouldnt be this way, but it is) my cousin was drafted out of Tulane as a JR to play baseball. Our family as a whole did not want him to leave, but when it came down to it, everything was just right for him to leave. He did, though, get in his contract that the organization had to pay for him to complete his degree during the offseason. Of course many players are not like that, but the point I am making is that in the "Big 3" sports, Football, Baseball, and Basketball, it is hard for these kids to pass up a chance to make millions, especially when so many of them come from lower income families. Right or wrong doesnt matter here, but this is how it is and the facts are that the NCAA does not care what an athlete does when he leaves college and is trying to lay the law down to keep these players around longer. I dont know how well they will be in suceeding at this, but I hope it doesnt back-fire and begin to lose more talent instead of keeping it around!!!

[texascajun]

no doubt about it. When an athlete is talented enough to play for a contract, he/she will take it. Im talking about the majority of collegiate athletes that live in a fairy tale world where everyone that was a High School All State player will be playing professionally. I just believe there should be greater accountability for student-athletes in the classroom. The problem gifted athletes face originates in Jr.High and High School... where they see that people will "pass them" in class as long as they perform on the court/field. That laziness and education apathy inflicts them and carries over to college. Granted, sometimes athletic ability will get you to the money...but an education and charater will keep you there