CNN Examines College Basketball – And Spotlights UConn’s Academic Troubles

[husky99]

http://courantblogs.com/uconn-men/c...ball-and-spotlights-uconns-academic-troubles/

 

[Chief00]

This is starting to border on the absurd ; as someone close to Auburn Athletics told me sympathetically.............I know UC is new to big time athletics .......you need to develop an academic major for athletes ....a road to "graduation" ....so at the end of of 4 years the school can hand the athlete a piece of paper.
The problem with UC is the egg heads there have not figured that out......all their committees with their stupid remedies for this problem will make the problem worst. True we have some gut classes but no road to graduation. You need a program of gut classes so a player can have a passing GPA in their major.
Additionally, having higher requirements for athletes staying eligible for sports vs. a non-athletic students staying eligible for school - is simply stupid.
As for the Jon Mandeldove - give me a break. As I posted before, a popular guy with his fellow students but someone who never put any effort or work into his studies or in fact athletics. If he blames anyone for the bed he has made for himself other than Jon - it is a joke. But, I wouldn't be concerned about a CNN documentary - their rating are so low - putting something on a billboard on I-95 overnight gets more viewers.

 

[Marty Jackson]

I get that Uconn is underperforming in this regard. But, there are two sides to this issue.
Can you imagine if two or three of the top 10 recruits were shut out of college because they couldn't get in anywhere. the system would be blamed for leaving these kids behind.
I think Uconn is guilty of lowering their standards to allow some of these kids to enter. But, these kids are given every opportunity to succeed by way of tutors, counselors, and probably even special privileges in the classroom.
What would be worse though? Uconn struggling because some of their players aren't cutting it academically, or reading about how Uconn pads the players grades and just graduates them. Essentially a diploma for playing BB.
How is it that Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, or Miss State can field entire football teams and not have the academic issues that Uconn has in fielding 11 BB players? Is it that much harder for a BB player to go to class than a FB player? Or is there something else going on?

 

[Marty Jackson]

This is starting to border on the absurd ; as someone close to Auburn Athletics told me sympathetically.............I know UC is new to big time athletics .......you need to develop an academic major for athletes ....a road to "graduation" ....so at the end of of 4 years the school can hand the athlete a piece of paper.
exactly what I was referring to...

 

[Chief00]

Marty, the Auburn guy tells us how the SEC schools do it. Personally, I don't have a problem with their approach - it is what it is. It is better than our current situation. It gives the players some structure, a degree in 4 years if they basically show up for class - so if they don't make theNFL they have a shot at a job that requires that piece of paper.

 

[UConn Hoops1]

http://courantblogs.com/uconn-men/c...ball-and-spotlights-uconns-academic-troubles/

I was thinking this morning, as I opened ESPN's main college hoops webpage with all of the Final Four stories and other stories about players declaring and coaches getting awards or being hired for new jobs, how embarrassing it felt to see up near the top, in the middle of all of the stories we all enjoy about hoops, the link to the story about UConn possibly missing the Big East tournament if the NCAA ban holds up. I have to say I've been fighting against all of the bad feelings you can have about all of this. Primarily because, in my heart of hearts, I believe that Jim Calhoun is a very hard working,,very decent,high value guy. Everything out there in the public sphere points to that over and over again. Any brief personal contacts I've had with him point to that. I know people who work for him; and they would not hesitate to agree. I have two children who have been very successful in the professional lives because, among other things, they were educated at UConn. I can cite hundreds and hundreds of personal examples of people who are where they are because they have a UConn education.

So how does a program that has to function in the very poorly designed and operated world of the NCAA deal with stories like CNN's that are geared for ratings(televise it in the middle of the summer and not during the Final Four and see what happens) and ignore all of the young men who have either succeeded at the next level(NBA) or succeeded off the court because of the way they were molded by Jim Calhoun and his staff over the years. Instead, not having seen the program yet, a very,very good university is reduced to public opinion formed by an interview with Jonathan Mandeldove(no insult toward Jon intended). I sincerely hope, for all of our sakes, that Susan Herbst,Jim Calhoun and anybody else who is in a position to do so, are going to go to the wall not only to defend this school and this program; but to expose the NCAA for the fraud that it is. I am in no way suggesting that our academic house can't be improved and strengthened. But if there was ever a case for schools to break away from this organization this is it.

As a huge soccer fan(and those of you here who are soccer fans will know exactly what I'm talking about), the NCAA is college hoops' equivalent of FIFA. Maybe not with the level of corruption that has poisoned FIFA for most of it's history; but certainly with the same level of absolute power out of control and in the hands of men who are oblivious to the damage their organization does to the sport it purports to protect.

GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[Marty Jackson]

Marty, the Auburn guy tells us how the SEC schools do it. Personally, I don't have a problem with their approach - it is what it is. It is better than our current situation. It gives the players some structure, a degree in 4 years if they basically show up for class - so if they don't make theNFL they have a shot at a job that requires that piece of paper.

I agree with you 100%... how hard is it to create a 'BB' degree that prepares these players for a life in BB as a player, coach, adminstrator or whatever.
It's frustrating that while Uconn is being judged in the media now, every SEC school get's a pass. Some of this was brougt to light at Georgia with Harrick and his classes for the BB team (ie how many points for a 3-pt shot). Is Uconn really worse off than the SEC schools?
There is a bigger story here about how schools approach big-time college athletics and what they are doing for their athletes once enrolled. Uconn is in the headlines today because we're a big name for BB with 3 NC's and Calhoun is a Hall of Fame coach.
Easy journalism...

 

[Chief00]

Duke has a Sociology degree program that their players use.....that is a total joke. But, it does the job.

 

[kobebeanbryant]

i think we're missing the main point here.

they are interviewing jonathan mandeldove...this will make us look very, very bad. who the hell advised him to take this interview???

 

[johnhuskies95]

Duke has a Sociology degree program that their players use.....that is a total joke. But, it does the job.

Kemba got his degree in sociology.

 

[Chief00]

I am glad Kemba got his degree. Last I heard he was still working on it and had an independent study to go. I am glad he wrapped it up.

 

[Gurleyman]

How is it that Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, or Miss State can field entire football teams and not have the academic issues that Uconn has in fielding 11 BB players? Is it that much harder for a BB player to go to class than a FB player? Or is there something else going on?

There's one huge difference between the sports: maybe 90 percent of football players redshirt at that level. So essentially, if they don't turn pro early, they are in school for nine full semesters, even if they bail after the football season ends and focus on combines. They can also have the tenth if they want, if they aren't really a pro prospect.

In basketball, nobody redshirts (barring injury), and if they decide to bail on studies after their senior season to prepare for their draft/pro career, they are only in school seven semesters.

 

[johnhuskies95]

I am glad Kemba got his degree. Last I heard he was still working on it and had an independent study to go. I am glad he wrapped it up.

I just don't know why you think UConn is at such a disadvantage with regards to course selection.

I believe it is true that Calhoun doesn't let players take a "general studies" major. He said that in his book.

With the exception of Michael Bradley, I don't think many players on the team are taking rigorous courses.