Bryce McNeal redeux

[Duncan Idaho]

http://www.theday.com/article/20120807/SPORT01/308079977/-1/SPORT

2.4 GPA, typical UConn min 3.0, probably gets in at 2.7

UL Last in APR. grad rates under 20% in 4 years, under 50% in 6 years
DiMauro moaning he should be given a shot

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

For the record, I think he's right, but I apparently have very little sway in Graduate School Admissions.

 

[AJC88]

ahhh what's the old saying, C's get degrees? I think this is exactly what a number of people assumed when he didnt get in. Just because you graduate in 3 years doesn't mean you had a 4.0. Too bad, but not shocking.

And DiMauro is an idiot.

 

[Brian2001]

I think he is wrong. He is not going into undergrad, which a 2.4 is fine with me. He is applying to Grad school, which is another level. If the minimum requirement is 3.0 (B), then bending the rules would be a 2.7 (B-). A 2.4 GPA is not even a C+ (2.5GPA). As a graduate of UConn and transfer myself from Clemson, I would be pissed off if this kid got into UConn grad school with a 2.4 GPA.

Look at it this way, if a B is the minimum requirment, then that B would be average/ slightly below average for a typically UConn Grad student. McNeal is not a B- or even a C+, he is a C. Someone that is a C undergrad student is not just below average, they are far below the average Grad student at UConn. I did not apply to UConn Grad school, but a couple of my college friends did, with 2.8 and 2.7 GPAs, neither of them got in with a B- average, why should he with a C.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

It pains me to agree with DiMauro because he writes in such a combative tone and he's essentially Edsall's lapdog (to this day), but I do agree with him here.

We are not on a Stanford, Vandy, or Duke level academically. We're talking about letting one kid into a grad program with a substandard GPA who graduated in 3 years. We need to find a way to get these kids into school. This kid could've been a difference maker. If we're going to play big boy football we need to accept that special provisions are going to be given to football players. Wisconsin hasn't had any issues in getting a QB into grad school the last 2 years. Louisville won't have an issue getting McNeal in either.

Ridiculous.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I think he is wrong. He is not going into undergrad, which a 2.4 is fine with me. He is applying to Grad school, which is another level. If the minimum requirement is 3.0 (B), then bending the rules would be a 2.7 (B-). A 2.4 GPA is not even a C+ (2.5GPA). As a graduate of UConn and transfer myself from Clemson, I would be pissed off if this kid got into UConn grad school with a 2.4 GPA.

Look at it this way, if a B is the minimum requirment, then that B would be average/ slightly below average for a typically UConn Grad student. McNeal is not a B- or even a C+, he is a C. Someone that is a C undergrad student is not just below average, they are far below the average Grad student at UConn. I did not apply to UConn Grad school, but a couple of my college friends did, with 2.8 and 2.7 GPAs, neither of them got in with a B- average, why should he with a C.

Do you support allowing undergrad football recruits into UConn with substandard grades and SAT scores? Honestly I don't see any difference.

 

[pj]

I'm with DiMauro on the principle that admissions requirements for football players should be extremely easy; but since I don't know what program he was applying to (remember he had to apply to a program Clemson doesn't have, so it's not something he majored in or even previously studied) and we don't know what steps the graduate program would have to take to keep him academically eligible for two years, it's impossible to judge the specific case. If it were just a matter of grades in an otherwise qualified applicant, then I'd say, hell yeah, a C+ average is good enough. But if a professor would have to tutor him for two years and they would have to come up with remedial programs, I can see that the burden would be too great.

I think these journalists should at least come up with basic background information like what program he was applying to if they're going to comment on the case. Whoever gave him the GPA was able to give him more information too.

 

[mattp]

Do you support allowing undergrad football recruits into UConn with substandard grades and SAT scores? Honestly I don't see any difference.

the difference is we probably admit 5k undergrads per year, and you don't expect all of them to pan our academically. for a graduate program that admits a select number of students you want to invite kids that you're pretty sure will make a positive academic impact on the program. there's no room for dead wood in graduate programs.

keep in mind i have a feeling a 2.4 for a football player at Clemson would equate to a 2.0 borderline pass if he took a typical UConn undergrad workload.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Do you support allowing undergrad football recruits into UConn with substandard grades and SAT scores? Honestly I don't see any difference.

Obrien form Maryland is an undergrad
Russell Wilson graduated from NC State with a 3.79 GPA
Got no problem with a 2.4 GPA undergrad transfer not Grad school.

Were not Vandy, Stanford, Duke but should aspire to be in the academic company of the Michgans not the Louisvilles who dont even graduate their student poulation.

It would be someting to watch in the next couple of years and see if he completes grad school at UL, wish him the very best.

 

[pj]

Yes, best of luck to you Bryce. Wish we could have rooted for you in Husky blue and white, but hope you land on your feet and do well.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Obrien form Maryland is an undergrad
Russell Wilson graduated from NC State with a 3.79 GPA
Got no problem with a 2.4 GPA undergrad transfer not Grad school.

Were not Vandy, Stanford, Duke but should aspire to be in the academic company of the Michgans not the Louisvilles who dont even graduate their student poulation.

It would be someting to watch in the next couple of years and see if he completes grad school at UL, wish him the very best.

Why is O'Brien allowed to play immediately?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

the difference is we probably admit 5k undergrads per year, and you don't expect all of them to pan our academically. for a graduate program that admits a select number of students you want to invite kids that you're pretty sure will make a positive academic impact on the program. there's no room for dead wood in graduate programs.

keep in mind i have a feeling a 2.4 for a football player at Clemson would equate to a 2.0 borderline pass if he took a typical UConn undergrad workload.

The stance that you and others have is very reasonable. But if McNeal flunked out of grad school, he wouldn't be the first or last to do so. It comes down to risk/reward to me.

Allowing McNeal into grad school doesn't put us at a Louisville level academically.

 

[FASTEDDY]

Dimauro is..........................................................COMPLETELY CORRECT!!!!!!
This is one SPECIAL CASE. A kid who had graduated and is committing for 2 years. Special athletes should be given special consideration. Clearly shows that we are not really serious about football. Its just one more sign of our lack of committment to bigt-time football. I am not advocating doing anything slippery but a good kid in good academic standing (albeit a 2.4 gpa but a Clemson grad) should be given special consideration.

Yet another mistake by UCONN. The list gets longer everyday.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

You need to maintain a 3.0 in grad school if I remember, asking a kid to do something he was not close to doing as an undergrad is a risk which I think the school administration considered, getting a 2.7 would have been an acceptable risk/reward . Well now we all know including the coaching staff, 2.7 is our threshhold. It would be unfair to allow someone to get this far in the process, again.

 

[businesslawyer]

Dimauro is absolutely correct.

Even a blind squirrel stumbles over an acorn every now and then.b

 

[UConnDan97]

This whole situation cracks me up. UConn is willing to bend the rules for a college athlete to the tune of 2.7GPA instead of 3.0GPA, and people on this board are mad that they didn't bend it to meet 2.4GPA! Ridiculous.

How the heck much of an exception are people willing to make then? 2.1? 1.8? Where does it stop? For all the bitching that people here have done about adding institutions like Boise State, which many of you have called a glorified community college, it sure seems like that is what many of you strive to be...

I'm glad that someone draws the line somewhere, because the value of my degree is protected and I am that much more likely to continue securing employment in the future. Well done, UConn!

 

[UConnRock]

As stated, there are so many thing we just don't know about this series of events. The facts are that the grad school admissions was willing to cut the football program and McNeal a deal and allow him to potentially enter grad school with a 2.7 GPA vs. the normal minimum of 3.0. McNeal came in with a 2.4 majoring in Communication Studies. You can be admitted to UConn grad schools on a "conditional basis" with a lower GPA if you score well on the GREs. We have no idea what he scored on his GREs. The GREs are the true barometer for comparison to McNeal's academics to other grad school applicants, as there are no variables associated with the Clemson football program, athletic department tutoring and other benefits when taking GREs. We also have no idea of the interview processs that McNeal may have gone through.

He did graduate in 3 years, but it is not like he took 5 classes a semester and buried himself in books and football for years. Football players start classes in the summer of freshman year rather than the fall and generally take summer classes throughout their time in school. To graduate a year early McNeal would have to take 8 additional classes during 6 summmer sessions (2 sessions each summer). Impressive, but notthing compared to kids who work nights to get themselves through school.

I am all for cutting kids a little slack on admissions, especially for undergrads. However, I totally agree with UConn's stance in this situation. Through quirks of realignment fate, UConn is in a conference where some teams have much more "flexibility" in admitting players. I don't want the state's flagship university to drop their academic standards to "compete" with Boise, Louisville, Memphis, South Florida or others. UConn will miss some opportunities for some players, but in the long run it will be best for the University to remain focused on the total student-athlete

 

[freescooter]

I'm on the side that says graduate school is a whole different animal from the under graduate program, well except MBA programs which are generally bogus everywhere. Graduate school is more focused and academic standards are more applicable. It sounds like UConn effectively said "meet us halfway and you're in." But he didn't do that. Unfortunate, but that's they way it goes, I think. I also suspect that the basketball APR situation may have played a role in the overall thinking. Situations like that make people maybe a bit over-cautious.

 

[metsfan2323]

Does anyone know what grad school he was trying to get into? Anything business related should have been an automatic entry. It would have been a real world welcome to the business world for anybody who complained. Special interests in business are the rule not the exception.

The ivy's admit people to their grad schools based on special connections every day, every year, who are we kidding.

 

[junglehusky]

I think you can tell from this thread who went to grad school and who didn't! (Law school is a different beast apparently)

Sent from my SGH-T679o( using Tapatalk 2

 

[businesslawyer]

I think you can tell from this thread who went to grad school and who didn't! (Law school is a different beast apparently)

Sent from my SGH-T679o( using Tapatalk 2

LOL. One more person struggling in a class at law school is hardly changing the character of the school.

Two of my partners went to Law School at Stanford with Bill Walton, while he was in the NBA. Basically, they let him create his own schedule. The law school survived (and Walton wasn't even playing college ball at the time).

 

[Duncan Idaho]

LOL. One more person struggling in a class at law school is hardly changing the character of the school.

Two of my partners went to Law School at Stanford with Bill Walton, while he was in the NBA. Basically, they let him create his own schedule. The law school survived (and Walton wasn't even playing college ball at the time).

just another famous multimillionaire

 

[AJC88]

I know that McNeal had a bunch of stars coming out of high school, but who says that he has a meaningful impact here? I thought Dwayne Difton was going to be a beast for UConn, and the kid couldn't get on the field. Just because he had a bunch of potential doesn't mean you let him into a grad program over a more academically qualified candidate.

 

[businesslawyer]

I know that McNeal had a bunch of stars coming out of high school, but who says that he has a meaningful impact here? I thought Dwayne Difton was going to be a beast for UConn, and the kid couldn't get on the field. Just because he had a bunch of potential doesn't mean you let him into a grad program over a more academically qualified candidate.

Difference -- I've seen McNeal play college football. I am not relying on stars given to him in high school.

Arguing about whether it should be as easy to get a kid into grad school as undergrad is fine, but we don't need to denegrate the kid's abilities in doing so. He started at Clemson for a while. He played on TV. And people have seen him play at the college level.

 

[pj]

Yes, bizlaw is right. Every school makes exceptions. I was at Harvard and professors were instructed that kids of mega-rich donors could not be given a failing grade. A university doesn't lose respect because one bad student out of thousands gets a degree; it gains a ton of respect by having money and a successful athletics program. It's for the good of the university to let top athletes in and let them maintain academic standing and get a degree with much more lenient standards than other students.

That said, a line has to be drawn somewhere and I don't think any of us can comment with complete confidence on any individual case.