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UConn loses final appeal

Updated: April 5, 2012, 5:07 PM ET
ESPN.com news services

STORRS, Conn. -- The NCAA has turned down what the University of Connecticut says is its final appeal for a waiver of academic requirements that would allow the Huskies to play in the 2013 postseason tournament.

UConn doesn't qualify for the tournament because of below-standard academic results, but it requested a waiver earlier this year after saying it instituted changes that improved scores.

The school proposed alternate penalties, including playing a shorter schedule next season, forfeiting the revenue awarded to the Big East for participating in the 2013 tournament and barring coach Jim Calhoun from meeting off-campus with prospective recruits during the fall 2012 contact period.

NCAA staff rejected the appeal in February, and its Committee of Academic Performance followed suit Thursday.

UConn failed to meet the NCAA's academic standards from 2009 to 2011. Under the NCAA's new rules, a school must have a two-year average score of 930 or a four-year average of 900 on the NCAA's annual APR, which measures the academic performance of student-athletes.

Connecticut men's basketball scored 826 on the APR for 2009-10. School officials have said it will come in at just above 975 for 2010-11. The scores are expected to be higher in 2011-12. It is unclear when the final numbers will be determined.

UConn had asked the NCAA to use data from 2010-11 and 2011-12 to determine eligibility for all NCAA teams in the future.

"I want to be clear that everyone at UConn is and will always be committed to academic excellence for all of our student-athletes and in particular our men's basketball players," UConn athletic director Warde Manuel said. "Before we even began this appeal process, the University and its Division of Athletics began to implement changes that were designed to positively impact the academic performance of our men's basketball student-athletes. We have and will continue to make adjustments designed to help these young men succeed."

Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy blasted the NCAA over its decision Thursday. Malloy told the Associated Press that he had stayed out of the fight until now, but finds this week's decision to reject the waiver request "absolutely outrageous."

"It's as if they've decided to get UConn, one way or the other," he said.

UConn is the first high-profile school to receive the harshest penalty of a postseason ban because of poor academic performance.

The Huskies also will be banned from the Big East Conference tournament.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...tournament

Congrats to the NCAA.

Last one out of Storrs, turn out the lights.

If they would have overturned that, I would have lost even more respect for the NCAA. Nice to see them take a stand against one of the elite.

Difficult season awaits UConn, Jim Calhoun

April, 5, 2012
6:43 PM ET

By Andy Katz | ESPN.com

Hall of Fame and three-time national champion coach Jim Calhoun will face his toughest on-court challenge yet, trying to motivate UConn without the opportunity of playing in the postseason in 2013.

The NCAA officially informed the Huskies on Thursday that the latest appeal to be eligible for the 2013 postseason was denied based on a four-year period of Academic Performance Rate (APR) scores.


Cal Sport Media/AP Images
Next season, UConn coach Jim Calhoun will have to motivate a team with no chance of reaching the postseason.

The Big East decided during the conference tournament to adopt a new policy that any school that isn’t eligible for postseason cannot participate in a conference tournament, regardless of sport.

Calhoun issued a statement through the school Thursday, admitting that the university and coaching staff should have done a better job academically with the team, and that implemented changes have had an effect.

He added, “We will continue to strive to maintain that success as we move forward.’’

Calhoun has two seasons remaining on his contract, and new athletic director Warde Manuel said Thursday during a conference call with the media that Calhoun has given him no indication he won’t go forward as the coach.

“Jim is our coach,’’ Manuel said. “Jim is committed to working to ensure the student-athletes do what they’re doing now -- to focus on academically being successful, and being successful on the court.’’

A number of sources close to Calhoun said he will not retire. Actually, this latest setback will likely embolden him even more to stay and get the Huskies through this hurdle, instead of him quitting on the program when it needs leadership most. Calhoun, who has survived two bouts of cancer, eight broken ribs and recent back surgery, is considered one of the toughest coaches in the country.

Calhoun returned from back surgery for the final regular-season game against Pitt on March 3 after missing eight games, then coached the Huskies in the Big East and NCAA tournament. Calhoun was suspended for three games to start Big East conference play as part of the penalties related to the recruitment of former student Nate Miles (not related to the APR issue).

The Huskies have already released junior forward Alex Oriakhi. He can play immediately somewhere else, because his former team is not allowed to play in the postseason in his final season of college. Kentucky, Duke, Florida, Missouri and North Carolina, among others, are interested in his services.

Manuel said no other player has asked for a release. Oriakhi is the only junior on the team.

The Huskies are awaiting NBA draft decisions from sophomore Jeremy Lamb and freshman Andre Drummond. Calhoun said two weeks ago that he would expect Lamb to leave if he were in the lottery, but wasn’t convinced Drummond would bolt after initial conversations with his family.

The Huskies have one star recruit coming in the fall in Omar Calhoun. They also return rotation players DeAndre Daniels, Enosch Wolf, Niels Giffey, Roscoe Smith and Michael Bradley, as well as a potential all-Big East backcourt of Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.

Preparing to play a season without the ability to reach the postseason isn’t the norm, but it’s not unique.

Two seasons ago, USC found out in January that it was banned from the postseason, including the Pac-10 tournament.

“It will be a challenge,’’ said USC coach Kevin O’Neill of what Calhoun faces next season. “If anybody can do it, Jim can. He commands the respect to keep them up.’’

O’Neill said he was helped by having senior transfers in Mike Gerrity (Pepperdine) and Marcus Johnson (UConn), who still wanted to play because they had nothing else left on their eligibility clock.

O’Neill said he focused the Trojans on trying to win the Pac-10 regular-season title. Calhoun will likely focus on the Big East regular-season title.

“Our guys continued to play hard, and we were in the hunt until the last two weeks,’’ O’Neill said. “We were fortunate to have seniors. If it’s a younger team, it’s going to be really hard. [UConn] will have a whole year in advance, and you’ve got to motivate the guys to go to the weight room to work their a-- off every single day, and that will be difficult.’’

Manuel isn’t holding out hope for a change in the policy in time to save the 2013 ban.

The Huskies have argued that the NCAA should compute the APR based on the immediate four-year period. Instead, the NCAA started it in 2007-2011.

The men’s team had an APR of 978 in 2010-11, and according to UConn had a perfect APR score in the fall of 2011.

Manuel said he views the Huskies as being penalized twice since it already lost a scholarship due to the poor APR, received a public reprimand and a reduction of practice hours. Manuel said the board of directors changed the level two penalty on Oct. 26, 2011 to go from the above mentioned to include a postseason ban.

“We knew the initial penalty when we submitted our information, we knew the punishment, there was no new data,’’ Manuel told ESPN.com later Thursday of the expectation that the Huskies, in the fall, would receive the above mentioned penalties instead of a ban. “And then they changed the penalty.

“None of the freshmen on this team cost us a point,’’ Manuel said. “The players on this team helped us stay perfect. These freshmen weren’t on the team and their data won’t be calculated.’’

But Manuel said he has moved on and the Huskies must as well, to a season that will end with the last regular-season game.

The Huskies can still win a title in 2013. But just the Big East regular-season championship. That’s it. As a result, this will be Calhoun’s toughest task to date to ensure his depleted team is motivated enough to reach that goal.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketbal...postseason

UConn AD Manuel discusses postseason ban

April 5, 2012 at 6:18 pm by Kevin Duffy

I’m sure it’s been a fun two-and-a-half weeks on the job for Warde Manuel.

UConn’s brand-new athletic director was informed Wednesday afternoon of the NCAA’s decision to reject the school’s final appeal for 2013 postseason eligibility. He took some time on Thursday to address the media. Some key points:

*Manuel on APR rules: “We support the APR and where they’re going with it and the use of it towards the postseason. What I am totally frustrated about is really how (the NCAA) has implemented this rule without lack of notification to the membership. You guys have been covering the NCAA and policy changes for a long time, I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years and I can never, ever remember, or anyone I’ve ever talked to can tell me (about) any legislation that has been changed retroactively that would have this kind of effect on our student-athletes.”


Warde Manuel (AP)

*Manuel on chances of NCAA using 11-12 APR data, which would make UConn eligible: “I’m not completely confident, hopeful I guess would be the best word, that the committee will continue to discuss the time of the implementation and whether or not they’ll use the most current years of the APR for the postseason.”

*Manuel on the logistics of NCAA using 11-12 data: “Even if for example, the only teams that fall into situation that would be penalized for data being delayed by an 8, 9, 10 month period…if you only looked at those schools and allowed them to use the most recent data, the most recent four years or two years, you’re really looking at a small number of teams, because it’s per team, not institution. Having done a lot of statistical work during my time working on my Ph.D, I don’t see why that would be such a difficult thing.

*Manuel on Jim Calhoun: “Obviously, Jim is not happy about where we find ourselves in the men’s basketball program. Beyond that, Jim and I have not talked about the impact of (the appeal) on his decision or my decision or in any part of the conversation about whether or not he will be here. Jim is our coach, and Jim is committed to working to ensure that the student-athletes continue to do what they’re doing now, which is to focus academically and do the things they need to do to be successful in the classroom and on the court.”

*Manuel on Calhoun’s future: “I’m not going to discuss any conversations I’ve had with any of our coaches about their contracts or their plans for the future.”

http://blog.ctnews.com/uconnbasketball/2...eason-ban/

Connecticut men's hoops team can't play in next year's NCAA tourney

By the CNN Wire Staff
April 5, 2012 -- Updated 2222 GMT (0622 HKT)

(CNN) -- The University of Connecticut men's basketball team cannot compete for next year's national championship after the NCAA denied the school's appeal of a postseason ban based on its athletes' academic performance.

The Huskies earlier had been ordered to sit out the 2013 NCAA tournament, because of its past players' sub-par academic performance rate. Led by longtime coach Jim Calhoun, the program had won that tourney last spring and, thus, captured the national title.

The University of Connecticut appealed that ruling, but to no avail, both the school and the NCAA said Thursday.

"It is disturbing that our current players must pay a penalty for the academic performance of students no longer enrolled," University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst said in a statement. "No educator or parent purposefully punishes young people for the failings of others."

The NCAA defended the decision, with spokesman Erik Christianson stating "schools have known since 2006" about the "serious penalties, including postseason restriction" for programs that did not meet set academic requirements.

"Also, in UConn's first waiver denial, NCAA staff noted the men's basketball team's overall lack of academic achievement and minimal academic progress over several years," Christianson said by e-mail to CNN.

The move is a result of the NCAA's decision to implement a recommendation, backed by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, to penalize programs that did not or were not on track to graduate at least half of their student athletes.

"If you can't manage to graduate half of your players, how serious is the institution and the coach and the program about their players' academic success?" Duncan, who played basketball while attending Harvard, told reporters last spring. "Are you actually preparing your student athletes for success -- is it just on the court or in life?"

The NCAA notes that a 930 APR, or academic performance rate, equates to a program being at the fulcrum to meet that criteria -- with higher scores indicating that a program is on track to graduate more than half its players, and lower ones indicating it is not.

The APR score for the UConn men's basketball's team, based on data from the 2009-2010 academic year, was an 893, according to the NCAA's website. That led to the NCAA immediately determining that the Huskies must offer two fewer scholarships, as well as setting the stage for next year's postseason ban.

Any university team in an NCAA-sanctioned sport had to "achieve a 900 multiyear APR or a 930 average over the most recent two years to be eligible" for postseason play during the 2012-2013 school year, according to Christianson.

Because the NCAA is "still in the waiver process," there is no "exact figure" yet as to how many other programs will be penalized like Connecticut's men's basketball team, added Christianson.

The academic standards will get even more stringent next school year, the spokesman noted. By then, a 930 APR score average will be required over four years, or at least a 940 for the two most recent years, for an interscholastic athletics program to compete in a 2014-2015 postseason tournament.

The University of Connecticut said, in its release issued Thursday, that its men's basketball team is well ahead of that requirement. That includes a "nearly perfect 978" APR score for the squad that won the national title and a "perfect APR score" for the fall 2011 semester.

"While we as a university and coaching staff clearly should have done a better job academically with our men's basketball student athletes in the past, the changes we have implemented have already had a significant impact and have helped us achieve the success we expect in the classroom," Calhoun said.

This isn't the first blow by the NCAA to the Huskies program, which traditionally has been among the best in its Big East conference and the nation as a whole.

In February 2011, the NCAA suspended Calhoun for three conference games, reduced the number of scholarships and mandated recruiting restrictions after determining that team staff members violated rules by exchanging 150 calls and 190 text messages with prospective recruits and providing complimentary game tickets.

The NCAA's infractions committee also found that Calhoun knowingly allowed a booster and certified NBA agent to participate in recruitment and make prohibited financial contributions to a potential student athlete.

The coach responded that he was "very disappointed with the NCAA's decision in this case."

A 2005 inductee into the basketball hall of fame, Calhoun has won three NCAA national championships in his career -- including his last 26 seasons with the Huskies -- and ranks sixth all-time with 873 victories, according to the official UConn athletics website.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/05/us/con...?hpt=us_c2

Mighty big of them to offer to forfeit "money awarded to the Big East for participating in the 2013 tournament."

What amazed/amused me is that UConn wanted to use later information (like the first and original one didn't count) and had the cajones to be miffed when the NCAA said naw, baby, naw.

It is stupid that they enacted the rule and then didn't allow time for Universities to adjust to the new policy. But meh, not complaining that UConn is suffering.

(04-05-2012 03:48 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote: [ -> ]Congrats to the NCAA.

Last one out of Storrs, turn out the lights.

glad to see the NCAA stood up to UCONN but I wonder how does Kentucky avoid this? they surely have a poor graduation rate with all the 1 and dones unless they do like xavier and give a degree to whoever enrolls.

(04-05-2012 10:28 PM)bearcat54 Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-05-2012 03:48 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote: [ -> ]Congrats to the NCAA.

Last one out of Storrs, turn out the lights.

glad to see the NCAA stood up to UCONN but I wonder how does Kentucky avoid this? they surely have a poor graduation rate with all the 1 and dones unless they do like xavier and give a degree to whoever enrolls.

The rule allows for guys to leave early as long as they are in good academic standing when they leave, so UK just has to have them finish the term with passing grades and all is good.

(04-05-2012 10:37 PM)BigDawg Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-05-2012 10:28 PM)bearcat54 Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-05-2012 03:48 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote: [ -> ]Congrats to the NCAA.

Last one out of Storrs, turn out the lights.

glad to see the NCAA stood up to UCONN but I wonder how does Kentucky avoid this? they surely have a poor graduation rate with all the 1 and dones unless they do like xavier and give a degree to whoever enrolls.

The rule allows for guys to leave early as long as they are in good academic standing when they leave, so UK just has to have them finish the term with passing grades and all is good.

I am sure Calipari/UK make sure the players receive appropriate grades/enrolled in classes an 8th grader could pass.

Is Omar Calhoun signed or just verballed?

This is wonderful news, love it!

I'm glad the NCAA didn't bend and give UConn a break. It sends a message to the programs with bad APR's and sends a good message to the programs with good ones.

I am really surprised this ended like this. Couldn't happen to a better program....ok well maybe uk, eggsavier or OSU.

(04-06-2012 12:54 PM)50Cent Wrote: [ -> ]I am really surprised this ended like this. Couldn't happen to a better program....ok well maybe uk, eggsavier or OSU.

So long as Sister Rose is at X, that won't happen.

Now the congressmen from conn are investigating the NCAA for this travesty crooked asses

Jim Calhoun: 'We've made mistakes'

Updated: April 6, 2012, 6:16 PM ET
By Andy Katz | ESPN.com

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said Friday he has no problem with next season's only possible goal being the Big East regular-season title if the Huskies are banned from the postseason.

"There's no question that it would become a heck of a lot more important to us," Calhoun said. "There's no question that Louisville will be good and Syracuse will still be good."

But he's still holding out some hope, as is his new boss, athletic director Warde Manuel, that the NCAA will adjust its Academic Progress Rate (APR) calculations and use the most recent four-year period, instead of the time frame that started in 2007 and is keeping the Huskies below the required level to participate in the postseason.

"We're still hoping that there is an outside possibility that we can be a part of the whole shooting match," Calhoun said. "We would love to (be in the Big East tournament). But you can have a bad year and miss the (NCAA) tournament. We have had years where we've played only one game in the Big East tournament. This year, we played only one game in the NCAA tournament. The season is the season."

The Big East adopted a rule for all sports last month that states if a team is ineligible for NCAA postseason competition, then it can't compete in the conference postseason, either.

Calhoun said he is meeting with Manuel and UConn president Susan Herbst next week to discuss more approaches going forward.

"We've made mistakes," Calhoun said. "If they use the current data, then we'll be fully set to go for next year."

An NCAA committee is expected to meet on the matter sometime in the early summer to review whether the most recent four-year period would be used to determine the APR. Manuel contests the penalty phase was changed in October to include the postseason ban for the offense.

"We think that they'll look at the most recent data, and if they do, it could affect 20 schools," Calhoun said. "We're going forward to make sure this never happens again. At the same time, we've had two years of hard work to rectify this and we hope they use the most recent data."

The situation has two members of Congress saying they will take a closer look at the NCAA.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and Rep. John Larson, both Connecticut Democrats, said Friday the system used to enforce NCAA standards "often appears arbitrary and unfair."

Blumenthal and Larson said they plan to "shine a light on the way the NCAA enforces its rules and review all possible courses of action to compel reform."

UConn's APR for 2009-10 was 826, but for the 2010-11 year it was 978. Under the rule adopted in October, each school must have a two-year average of 930 or a four-year average of 900 on a scale that measures the academic performance of the players.

UConn's two-year score of that period from 2009 to 2011 would be 902 and a four-year score below 890, which keeps UConn out of the 2013 postseason. But if the most recent scores from the past two school years are used, including this season, then UConn contests it would be eligible.

Calhoun said he was in his office at 8 a.m. ET Friday working on all issues with the program.

"We're here, we're trying to be here for the players and advising them," Calhoun said.

Calhoun said he has been in contact with the Huskies' top-signed recruit, Omar Calhoun of Christ the King High in New York. The coach said he fully expects Omar Calhoun to remain committed to the program. Calhoun scored 26 points at the All-American Championship in New Orleans and was named MVP.

Calhoun, a guard, would join a stellar perimeter with returnees Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright.

"He's a great kid and been really positive and we're close to adding another kid," Jim Calhoun said. "We've added two more scholarships. We're off the penalty (of losing two scholarships due to a poor APR). We had 10 scholarships last year and now we're back up to 12."

Calhoun said he and sophomore wing Jeremy Lamb will meet late Friday. Lamb is expected to declare for the NBA draft and likely would be a lottery pick.

Calhoun said he is going to meet with freshman center Andre Drummond on Monday. He isn't sure what Drummond will do.

Calhoun said the Huskies have given junior forward Alex Oriakhi his release. He's being recruited by a number of schools in the SEC, including national champion Kentucky, and Duke and North Carolina in the ACC.

The SEC has a rule that prohibits schools from taking players with only one year of eligibility remaining. But schools are seeking an interpretation given this special circumstance to receive a waiver to allow Oriakhi to play.

"He has indicated he's going to leave, he did all his work in school," Calhoun said. "He definitely wants to take advantage of playing right away. If it turns around, he indicated he would sit a year."

Oriakhi wouldn't need a waiver -- outside of the SEC -- to play immediately if UConn isn't eligible for the postseason. For any other player who has more than one year remaining in college, they would have to seek a waiver to play immediately without sitting a year in residence.

Calhoun said no other players have asked to transfer. That means the rest of the roster: Enosch Wolf, DeAndre Daniels, Niels Giffey, Tyler Olander, Boatright, Napier, Roscoe Smith and Michael Bradley all would return. Adding Omar Calhoun gives the Huskies nine scholarship players.

"There is a lot of optimism," said Jim Calhoun, who has two years remaining on his contract. "We have had obstacles beyond our control. For 25 years here, we've done pretty good, we're recruited here and have a good staff for next year. We're not the first program to have difficulties."

Calhoun said having former players Glenn Miller, Kevin Ollie, Kevin Freeman and Karl Hobbs on the staff has kept the Huskies even closer.

"We went from an 18-16 season to being picked 10th to winning the Big East tournament and the national title," Calhoun said of the 2011 season that was led by Kemba Walker.

UConn was 20-14 this past season, 8-10 in the Big East and lost to No. 8 seed Iowa State in Louisville in the NCAA second round.

Calhoun, who turns 70 on May 10, has won three national titles and 873 games in his career. He has survived two bouts of cancer, eight broken ribs from a bike accident and most recently, in February, had to have a piece of a disk removed from his lower back that was pressing on a nerve that forced him to miss eight games. He also had to sit the first three games of the Big East season for violations related to the recruitment of former player Nate Miles.

"We believe in what we're doing," Calhoun said. "Right now, we're making sure the kids in the program and the couple of kids we're talking to that are coming in like Omar are prepared. We're finishing the semester with three more weeks. We have a lot of work to do but we're all looking forward to the future."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketba...e-top-goal