Montrell Dobbs Won't Meet UConn Qualifying Standards

[Jarhead_1775]

I'm nauseous over the whole thing. Now I know why big programs do what they do. Can't bend though, not for a second. It's disrespectful to the athletes who earned their way onto the squad to consider otherwise. I feel your pain exit16, I really do. Someone please wake me up and tell me this is just a nightmare that will go away. I'm a student (albeit an old one) at UConn now and I have to say that the difficulty of the coursework that is here really is above what I expected. I'm scheduled to graduate in the spring, but it's been a long painful and eye opening road. Grant it, I chose one of the more difficult undergrad programs there are. I've spoken to other students who are transfers and the general consensus is that UConn is no academic puff ball. I like that reputation and I'd hate to see it sullied by allowing Dobbs to get in without meeting the same standards as all the other students. Sounds like a fantastic kid and I wish him all the "luck" that comes with good, hard work.

 

[PolisHusky]

I'm sure Casey Cochran has some extra gpa points and completed academic requirements he can spare...are they transferable?

 

[metsfan2323]

UConn is no academic puff ball. I like that reputation and I'd hate to see it sullied by allowing Dobbs to get in without meeting the same standards as all the other students.

You're kidding right? The day elite athletes have to meet the same standards as everyone else is the day we close down the Rent and start playing basketball games back at the fieldhouse. And please don't worry about your degree being sullied, every school bends their requirements for elite athletes. Look at some of the "students" who have been admitted to Georgetown.

And BTW for those trashing Ansonia, Yale's starting running back is a product of Ansonia High School.

 

[whaler11]

At least we have a new response to the next time someone wants to expand the stadium.

There is no point expanding the stadium if the school is going to play hardball with the football program on admission.

 

[ChrisSmith]

At least we have a new response to the next time someone wants to expand the stadium.

There is no point expanding the stadium if the school is going to play hardball with the football program on admission.

UConn is an academic institution first and foremost. They should not admit kids they don't feel will succeed academically. Look at the trouble the basketball team has gotten into by not admitting student-athletes with the proper focus on academics. The only tragedy here is that Dobbs has not given academics the needed focus, or that he simply lacks the intellectual aptitude.

 

[uconnbill]

This news just stinks. I hope this is something that can change, maybe he can come in the summer.

 

[metsfan2323]

This news just sucks. I hope this is something that can change, maybe he can come in the summer.

I agree, he has been at prep school for three months, why do these decisions have to be made now?

 

[KindOfBlue]

The next person who wastes my time talking about an Ansonia High product going to UConn is getting a pie in the face. Tinney. Kuraczea. Now Dobbs. Enough. Can we only talk about kids coming from high schools that have a chance to get him qualified and remain academically eligible? Ansonia is not such a place.

You should stop by the Yale Bowl on Saturday for your own pie in the face.

A young man from Ansonia will be starting at tailback for a school with just slightly higher academic standards than UConn.

New Haven is a place with academic standards. Storrs is not such a place.

 

[superjohn]

You have to admit it is a little ridiculous how many kids from Ansonia don't seem to have the grades.

 

[KindOfBlue]

You have to admit it is a little ridiculous how many kids from Ansonia don't seem to have the grades.

I can recall Ansonia FB players going on to play at Yale (several), Brown, Columbia, Stanford, Trinity, Syracuse, BC and other schools academically superior to UConn.

I think memory tends to be short term around here.

 

[huskysupporter]

I can recall Ansonia FB players going on to play at Yale (several), Brown, Columbia, Stanford, Trinity, Syracuse, BC and other schools academically superior to UConn.

I think memory tends to be short term around here.

Agreed. In addition to Thomas, Steve Coughlin went to Stanford, Luke Richmond was The starting qb here, and there was another TE, I forget his name, who went to BC.



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[BigEastCT]

I really do not by into this. If he does well at his pep school this year and takes two or three summer classes at uconn, and is in good standing, this should be a non issue for the fall semester.

I had friends out of highschool that got accepted to Uconn for part time only (grades were not that good), they took 3 clases and passed and the next semster were admitted as full time.

If he can take 3 classes in the summer, and do well, they will acccept his as a full time student

 

[mattp]

I can recall Ansonia FB players going on to play at Yale (several), Brown, Columbia, Stanford, Trinity, Syracuse, BC and other schools academically superior to UConn.

I think memory tends to be short term around here.

the idea that Cuse and BC are academically superior to UConn is laughable. you get out of school what you put into it. i seriously considered Cuse until i visited and realized it's practically a third world country. if you moved UConn to Willimantic you'd have Syracuse. i also strongly considered BC until i visited and discovered what a bunch of s 90% of their student body is. half of them actually think they're at Harvard during the week and ND on saturdays to paraphrase RutgersAl.

 

[gars44]

Per tweet by Bob Lichtenfels.



Source: https://twitter.com/#!/BobLichtenfels/status/137312572645969921

It would be a cruel hoax for any university to admit someone who would be a complete misfit with no possibility for academic success. I would hope that the state u is willing to make an exception for talented in state football players who are trying and who can be included. If they are not trying, then obviously, there is not much you can do. But anyone who is trying, and who can be assisted in achieving their goals, should be given a chance if they bring other assets to bear. These assets are not limited to athletics, but also include the arts, music, cultural diversity, legacy, and other assets.

 

[Carl Spackler]

If the kid doesn't qualify for admission in January 2012 for the spring semester, it doesn't mean he doesn't qualify for admission for the fall semester of 2012.

Either way, we've got a game tomorrow, and Dobbs isn't playing.

 

[Carl Spackler]

If the news is true, that he's not qualified for admission in two months, then that stinks. All I can say, is that there can't be any more motivation to hit the books harder and longer.

I also cannot see in any way, how having high academic standards might in any way hurt recruiting.

 

[businesslawyer]

I congratulate Thomas on his career at Yale. And I went to Trinity with an Ansonia football player, bright young man, who played for Trinity.

Nonetheless, recruiting is a game of using limited resources (coaches time, official visits, budgets, etc.) wisely. If you are repeatedly getting burned by one school, why in the world wouldn't you use limited resources differently.

 

[epark88]

Two things:

* The other school involved with Mr. Dobbs? Marshall. Marshall University is the safety school for WVU. Think about that for a moment.
* The coach there? Doc Holiday, master recruiter. All he's done is help sign the kids who won those NC's at Florida a few years back.

UConn's solution here is not going to be as simple as Mr. Dobbs taking a couple extra courses in the spring - PP's gonna have to stare down one of the best closers in the recruiting game as well.

Keeping this kid in the fold will NOT be easy, but it won't be impossible either...

 

[businesslawyer]

Two things:

* The other school involved with Mr. Dobbs? Marshall. Marshall University is the safety school for WVU. Think about that for a moment.
* The coach there? Doc Holiday, master recruiter. All he's done is help sign the kids who won those NC's at Florida a few years back.

UConn's solution here is not going to be as simple as Mr. Dobbs taking a couple extra courses in the spring - PP's gonna have to stare down one of the best closers in the recruiting game as well.

Keeping this kid in the fold will NOT be easy, but it won't be impossible either...

I'm confused. How do we keep someone in the fold if we're not able to get him admitted to our school?

 

[Carl Spackler]

I'm confused. How do we keep someone in the fold if we're not able to get him admitted to our school?

We certainly don't do it by breaking any rules. That's all I know. Got enough problems elsehwere, don't need it in football.

 

[epark88]

I'm confused. How do we keep someone in the fold if we're not able to get him admitted to our school?

True: Dez now reporting that Dobbs will not qualify at all for UConn.

Rotten situation for all parties involved...

 

[SAMCRO]

I'm confused. How do we keep someone in the fold if we're not able to get him admitted to our school?

I'm interpreting "keeping him in the fold" as convincing Dobbs to pass up on enrolling at Marshall this January, and staying at Milford for his Spring semester, to do whatever that needs to be done academically to qualify at UConn, then enroll at UConn this summer. Worse case, he doesn';t qualify, and goes to Marshall this summer. Best case he gets into his "dream school". That is how I interpreted his post, but could be wrong.

Bigger question for me is how far off is he from qualifying? Is it a few points on his GPA which he could improve enough in one extra semester to qualify, or is it so far off the mark that an extra semester is not going to make the difference.

 

[sportsart]

Dez reporting it's NCAA standards he's not meeting.

That would obviously mean no Marshall either.

 

[Dann]

Dez reporting it's NCAA standards he's not meeting. No Marshall either.

really? thats a game changer. i thought it was that he was going to half qualify and uconn doesn't do that while others do. so potentially he can stay at milford for another semester if needed to get his grades up or do the CC thing.

 

[MarbleheadHusky]

A couple of thoughts...

1) If it's NCAA standards he can't qualify any where.
2) In my opinion, NCAA standards are so low... if a kid gets an extra prep year, there really should be no issues, if, IF your head is in the right place.
3) I think the fact that CTFOOTBALL12, or whatever his handle is, has not chimed in yet, speaks VOLUMES.
4) Silver Lining? Better now then later. What if he did enroll and then right before he was to play, we are told he can't because of academics. If he can't cut it at Ansonia and Milford Academy, he won't be able to cut it in college.
5) This is a sad story...

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm assuming this couldn't possibly be a total shock to P and his staff. So the obvious next question is what is our backup plan to get a TB in this year's class?

 

[Dann]

good ?

 

[sportsart]

Dez reporting it's NCAA standards he's not meeting.

That would obviously mean no Marshall either.

To qualify one needs a 2.0 GPA and a 1010 SAT or a 2.5 GPA and an 820 SAT. I believe a 2.75 GPA gets you in with a 700 SAT.

 

[freescooter]

First of all we know that schools take athletes that don't meet the same criteria as a typical student. Of ocurse they also take artists and others with special skills too. Friend of ours who was a very good musician, had written a number of classical pieces, went to Brown. He didn't have either the grades or the SAT scores but he was a remarkable musician so they made an excpetion. Another one went ot UCONN because she played an instrument they needed for the University's orchestra and she played it and played well. And who can forget Nate Miles...But if a kid is going to Marshall it is likely he is not qualifying anywhere else. As epark said, Marshall is a saftey school for West Virginia...not exactly going to be confused with Princeton any time soon.

 

[Brian2001]

I am little frustrated that the guy that constantly pimped him out to the board along with the rest of the CT kids at milford academy has not said a word yet. The kid had to be doing poorly all along to not reach NCAA minimum to qualify. However, we were still being preached to all along about him as well as others