Here we go ...

[Inyatkin]

Per Amore:
CNN is presenting a less-than-flattering look at UConn’s mens basketball program, focusing on its 25 percent graduation rate, inside its documentary show CNN Presents this weekend. The segment looks at the nationwide problem of academic problems within the NCAA, but correspondent Drew Griffin, introducing the piece, says, “UConn may have been the best basketball team in the land, but but in the classroom they were darn near the worst.”
Griffin interviews UConn president Susan Herbst in Gampel Pavilion. “It’s very complicated, the story of how you get there,” she said. “It’s not just a coach, not just a player, not even an athletic director or president. It’s everybody together trying to support the team, or in our case not supporting the team as well as we should.”
Former UConn player Jonathan Mandeldove, one of the players who left with poor academic standing, is also interviewed.
The show will air Sunday at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Click here to view a video clip of the report.

 

[ThatUconnFan]

They came to play basketball not for school. At some point the ncaa should realize that

 

[nomar]

Awesome. Really super. Can't wait to not watch it.

 

[nomar]

They came to play basketball not for school. At some point the ncaa should realize that

Great defense, Donald Verilli.

 

[Dann]

ugh

 

[Dove]

Awesome. Really super. Can't wait to not watch it.

Thank God for The Simpsons.

 

[Silk City]

They can take away our postseason, but they can't take away Mandeldove's relevance.

Always good to see the Dove getting some national TV time.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

when does the documentary about the NCAA making millions off kids through merchandise and tv contract deals come out?

 

[Burnsbros23]

yikes.... At least mandledove doesnt seem to be blaming UCONN

 

[FluxTZ]

Per Amore:
CNN is presenting a less-than-flattering look at UConn’s mens basketball program, focusing on its 25 percent graduation rate, inside its documentary show CNN Presents this weekend. The segment looks at the nationwide problem of academic problems within the NCAA, but correspondent Drew Griffin, introducing the piece, says, “UConn may have been the best basketball team in the land, but but in the classroom they were darn near the worst.”
Griffin interviews UConn president Susan Herbst in Gampel Pavilion. “It’s very complicated, the story of how you get there,” she said. “It’s not just a coach, not just a player, not even an athletic director or president. It’s everybody together trying to support the team, or in our case not supporting the team as well as we should.”
Former UConn player Jonathan Mandeldove, one of the players who left with poor academic standing, is also interviewed.
The show will air Sunday at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Click here to view a video clip of the report.

Very insightful comments from Dove too.

 

[rman726]

I hate how many times I see no-names in articles about our academics. They come expecting playing time and get pissed off at it and leave to go somewhere else, and stop caring about school. And it's always those types of guys. So they end up leaving in poor academic standing because their future is at a D1AA or D2 school thinking that they just weren't used right by Calhoun and believing that they can catch eyes of scouts at another school. What are we supposed to do about that? The few star players that have cost us are almost all because they are NBA lottery picks, and after the season ends, they stop giving a . There is absolutely nothing we can do about that. And honestly, if you come to school with your only intention to play in the NBA, how can we enforce it? Honestly, if Jeremy Lamb were to come to me for advice and ask "Should I study for my my final exams in a few weeks or should I work my ass off on the court on my game to get ready for my pro-day." The only right advice for the kid is: "Work your ass off on basketball. Your degree is essentially in basketball." Isn't the point of college about the kids future and preparing the kid for his career?

I understand if you have academic problems while you are playing, the school should be forced to sit the player until until the guy gets his grades up Fab Melo style. And if we were being punished becuase we just let those types of guys play anyways. That would at least be completely understandable. But that's not the case. Regardless, at some point, it has to go on the student athletes and not the program. If the kid doesn't want to give a , there is nothing you can do about it in his last semester. You can't sit him from games in May of their last year at your school after they get their grades if there are no games. And I would wager that 99% of the kids that leave in bad academic standing just quit in their last semester. Why should they care? There is no punishment that can be done to them.

I have a very simple solution for the NCAA that has nothing to do with this APR disaster. If the NCAA really wants to fix the problem then move the tournament to mid-May through mid-June. You want to play in the tournament? Then you better have zero in the Fall and Spring semester (or fall, winter, and spring quarter for those schools in the quarter system). If you failed any class then you aren't playing in the tournament. It's simple. There will be very few kids planning on leaving the school that won't finish his career in good academic standing. The few that do, will be punished individually. It probably actually is better for the kids because they aren't taking extended breaks in March. College baseball does it after the school ends. Why not basketball? Move the tournament, push back the NBA draft and the situation is 100 times better, with no APR system that many people don't even think is a very good system, but is just the best they have.

 

[Donyell]

Joe Zone the clown on ch.3 just said it's a no for Uconn next year and also the ban on the Big East Tourney holds up. I know he is an balloon knot and the next thing he says that is right will be his first has been anti- Huskies since his tenure started. Don't know if this is accurate but he did say this.

 

[caw]

So, and I will not watch this due to other factors, but how are they calculating that score?

It says this is for student athletes that didn't graduate in 6 years and weren't star athletes. What is the time period? Does this include transfers who graduate elsewhere? Does this include transfers at all, or are they just a negative weight?

This obviously doesn't include the following players:
2012 class of OC
2011 class of Boatright, Daniels
2010 class of Smith, Lamb, Napier, Olander, Wolf, Bradley, Giffey
2009 class of Oriakhi, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Trice, Smith

They would all be considered current players in any calculation.

It also can't include the following players:
2008 class of Walker, Harelson, Miles, Majok, Okuandu
2007 class of Beverly (or if it counts DBev it's a 1/1)

They are all within the 6 year rule they are implementing. Of those two classes 3 of the 6 graduated, one is currently in school and one could be considered a "star" player (Majok was drafted and left to pursue professional career). So anywhere from 3/6 to 3/4. Probably calculated as a 2/5 taking only Walker out completely.

Going further back:

2006 class of Robinson, Kelley, Thabeet, Dyson, Edwards, Wiggins, Eaves, Mandeldove. Kelley, Wiggins and Eaves transferred. Thabeet would count as a star. Dyson graduated. Robinson and Edwards did not, though at least Edwards is overseas playing professionally. Mandeldove also did not (but the kid was given every possible shot at it). So 1/4 is probably how they calculate it.

2005 class of Adrien, Austrie, Garrison, Johnson and technically Bynum. Bynum obviously would count as a star.
Garrison and Johnson transferred. Adrien and Austrie I thought graduated. Even if only Austrie did, Adrien should count as a star (he was in the NBA). 1/1

2004 class of Gay, Price, Nelson, Kellog. Only Nelson would be considered a non-star who didn't transfer. Though he did transfer in, did he graduate? So if you count Nelson 0/1 or 1/1

2003 class of Williams, Boone and Charlie. All would be considered stars. 0/0

2002 class of Anderson, Brown, Armstrong, White. Am I missing someone? White transferred. Armstrong and Brown were drafted. Anderson was a fourth year player. Did he graduate? 0/1 or 1/1

So from 2002-2006 you have something between a 2/7 or 4/7 with 10 recruits drafted and 7 transfers.

2001 class of Gordon and Okafor, Wise and Hayes. Gordon and Okafor are considered stars, Wise and Hayes. I think Wise transferred and Hayes I thought graduated. 0/1 or 1/1. I want to give UConn a 1/1 for Okafor also, but I bet they didn't.

2000 class of Butler, Selvie, Swain, Hazelton, Tooles, Brown. Butler was a star. Swain, Hazelton transferred. Selvie, Tooles and Brown I have no clue on.

1999 class of Deng, Cox, Brown, Robertson. Brown and Robertson didn't transfer. Robertson did get his degree but it might have been after 6 years. Brown, no clue.

I can't waste my time going further back. Sorry it's Friday and I have a life.

Basically, it's not nearly as bad as the percentages make it out to be. You are talking about a very small base size and I'm sure they are calculating it in a way to make it as bad as possible.

They should have given raw numbers, not the percentage.

 

[champs99and04]

When is CNN going to come out with their documentary with the average income of the kids who signed on to play basketball at UConn and did not transfer? Because 95% of them either make it to the pros or end up playing somewhere professionally for a nice paycheck. Is it in the best interest of the sudent-athlete to work his ass off in the classroom at the expense of preparing on the court? Kids like Gavin Edwards, Stanley Robinson, Jeff Adrien..whomever, have a very short window to make money playing basketball. They can come back and get their degree anytime. Mandeldove seems to be a special case of somebody who either was incredibly dumb, or just didn't care. The thought that help was not their when these kids needed it is ridiculous.

How about next time CNN plans on making a misleading film like this, they interview some of the high caliber kids who left for the big payday without their degree instead of one of the few exceptions in Jonathan Mandeldove? I think what CNN would find out, is that 95% of them live a very comfortable life and are not on the street collecting garbage at 6 AM. Basketball players at major universities like Connecticut are completely different from athletes of any other sports. We all hear about how it is "student-athlete" and "student comes first", but for high profile players like we've had here, that couldn't be further from the truth. How they play on the court is a heck of a lot more important than how they do in the classroom. If the NCAA can't handle that, they are going to have to completely destroy their system.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Since 2002, of the 28 players that went to UConn out of high school, only 9 of them stayed for 4 years.

 

[jrazz12]

OH NO!!!!!! All 4 viewers of this program will look upon our program poorly

 

[Dann]

after watching that preview vid:

1- doves answer was exactly what i expected "dur dur dur"
2- this is bs overall but will get them ratings. going to have to weather this storm media wise now. i think susan did a good job with this.
3-is cnn trying to make uconn look like a racist school or something? why the black player vs white thing? when were talking only 20 freaking kids total over those years, how far can u really break it down. just seems a little sketchy to make ti a race thing.
4-they clearly are looking to focus on us and not uks or others grad rates. such a joke.

 

[Robertelamin]

I would love to know what Mandeldove did in his 5 years at UConn.

 

[RS9999X]

The price of 3 championships is a one year post-Season Ban?

I'd take that deal in Fall 1998 and run with it. Can we do it again?

 

[jorge34]

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but when it comes to the media and agendas...

this is the NCAA using a complicit news organization to sway public opinion.......to back up their postseason ban position in regard to Uconn, which is weak at best. They don't like bad publicity.

 

[jorge34]

I would love to know what Mandeldove did in his 5 years at UConn.

a little Tiffany, and a lot of weed

 

[gibhunter]

The price of 3 championships is a one year post-Season Ban?

I'd take that deal in Fall 1998 and run with it. Can we do it again?

LOL. You've got a point there.

 

[Inyatkin]

They're focusing on us because we won the title last year and are looking at a ban next year.

I agree with everyone who says it's too small a sample size, and it doesn't tell the whole story, and all the rest. But the numbers look really bad. And we've given critics more than enough to work with.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

I was thinking the other day. Students who enjoy the arts can major in music or theatre. The chances of these students becoming major actors/actresses/singers/musicians is probably the same if not less than those who try to be a professional athlete after spending at least one year in college. They have majors designed specifically for them. They'll get credit through their performances and taking classes relevant to help them perform better. Why can't the same be done for athletes? I know there are sports management majors and such, but a specific major with a curriculum designed for athletes would make sense. If they called the major athletics, what difference would that degree have in the "real world" from a theatre major? They still would need to take requirements that every student must take, but classes in their major would be designed especially for them, such as a wealth management class. Games/Practices would be able to count as credit. For the players who do go to college with a specific major in mind that they would like to take, then extra props to them. I believe a guy like AD would be much better prepared taking money management classes, negotiation and communication classes, and other classes of that nature.

There's a reason why so many professional athletes end up broke and with other problems similar to that. If they were educated in classes that were more applicable to them, it would benefit them far more, than a criminal justice degree.

Any thoughts?

 

[Danzz]

When is CNN going to come out with their documentary with the average income of the kids who signed on to play basketball at UConn and did not transfer? Because 95% of them either make it to the pros or end up playing somewhere professionally for a nice paycheck. Is it in the best interest of the sudent-athlete to work his ass off in the classroom at the expense of preparing on the court? Kids like Gavin Edwards, Stanley Robinson, Jeff Adrien..whomever, have a very short window to make money playing basketball. They can come back and get their degree anytime. Mandeldove seems to be a special case of somebody who either was incredibly dumb, or just didn't care. The thought that help was not their when these kids needed it is ridiculous.

How about next time CNN plans on making a misleading film like this, they interview some of the high caliber kids who left for the big payday without their degree instead of one of the few exceptions in Jonathan Mandeldove? I think what CNN would find out, is that 95% of them live a very comfortable life and are not on the street collecting garbage at 6 AM. Basketball players at major universities like Connecticut are completely different from athletes of any other sports. We all hear about how it is "student-athlete" and "student comes first", but for high profile players like we've had here, that couldn't be further from the truth. How they play on the court is a heck of a lot more important than how they do in the classroom. If the NCAA can't handle that, they are going to have to completely destroy their system.

The 25% graduation rate does not include players who left for the NBA. The NCAA has rules and whether or not you agree with them, the rules apply to everyone. Uconn's performance was horrible. One of the other schools noted by CNN with a less than stellar record was Indiana at 47%....almost double Uconn's grad rate. We have (or had) a big problem at Uconn and blaming the NCAA or anyone else doesn't change that.