[Stardust]

Calipari's squad's spring grades still worst of UK teams

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/05/28/12829...z0pSHOfS7h

Despite a slight improvement in classroom performance during the spring semester, the University of Kentucky men's basketball team still had the poorest grade-point average of all 20 teams sponsored by the school.

The team's spring semester GPA was 2.18, better than the 2.025 of the fall semester of 2009, but the lowest of all the school-sponsored teams for the second semester in a row, according to records released by UK in a partial response to open-records requests.

Men's tennis had the next lowest GPA with a 2.34 in the spring.

Thirteen of UK's 20 teams had grade-point averages of better than 3.0 in the spring semester, pushing the overall GPA of athletes to 3.04, the highest since Mitch Barnhart arrived as athletics director in 2002 and set 3.0 as an academic goal.

UK also fared poorly compared to other basketball programs. As of Thursday, four other Southeastern Conference schools provided the Herald-Leader with the spring GPAs of their men's basketball teams. All were better than UK: Florida at 2.96; Georgia at 2.54; Ole Miss at 2.50 and Auburn at 2.25.

Louisville's men's basketball team had a 3.02 team GPA.

In prepared statements, Barnhart and first-year UK coach John Calipari expressed qualified satisfaction, saying they were pleased the team scores had improved, and recognized the players had been through some difficult transitions.

In a news release earlier this week, UK implied that one or more of its players did not finish the semester. A "vast majority" of the players who entered the draft finished the spring semester, UK said.

UK denied the Herald-Leader's request for the individual grade-point averages of the men's basketball players. The school cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which is commonly known as the Buckley Amendment, a federal law enacted to protect students' private records.

However, UK had provided the individual grade-point averages for the men's basketball team for the fall semester of 2009



Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/05/28/12829...z0pSHhJ7b6

[Wildcatk23]

What can u expect? Half the team is gone. Why would they worry about college if there going to make money in the NBA.

[Stardust]

What can u expect? Half the team is gone. Why would they worry about college if there going to make money in the NBA.

I agree. We knew this coming in, and it should not be expected to change in the years to come. These articles will be around for a long time.

[theVILLE]

Next seasons recruiting class is going to be completly different! They could have grade point avg of 3.5...On the court they will be alot different they will have shooters and limited post players, they will not have the speed of a JOHN WALL on the team..They will still be inexpierenced, still will have 26 plus wins and still will not win a championship because of the lack of inexpierence...

[theVILLE]

What can u expect? Half the team is gone. Why would they worry about college if there going to make money in the NBA.

During the Fall semester I would expect them to go to class and make the grades! It is called COLLEGE, that means you have classes to take, I agree that they were going to make millions, but why give them a scholly if they are not going to go to class? Give that scholly to a person that needs it and just let players like orton and wall play basketball and not even be considered to take a class!

[Hoot Gibson]

I am a Kentucky fan but the recruitment of so many potential one-and-dones bothers me. It is not too difficult to maintain a 3.0 GPA when you take an easy scheduled tailored for basketball players and have a private tutor at your beck and call. There is really no excuse to sign so many players who cannot be bothered to show up for class and collect their Bs and Cs.

[Wildcatk23]

^. Seriously? This kids dont come to college to learn anything but basketball. Thats all they do. Is it right? Idk. But i expected nothing more.

[Stardust]

^. Seriously? This kids dont come to college to learn anything but basketball. Thats all they do. Is it right? Idk. But i expected nothing more.

I'm OK with that, but the argument should be with the NBA. The NBA needs to back off of the requirement to only take 19yo's with one year of college service. That would clean up a lot of the "one & done" situations.

[Hoot Gibson]

^. Seriously? This kids dont come to college to learn anything but basketball. Thats all they do. Is it right? Idk. But i expected nothing more.

Most other schools manage to have better team GPAs. The UK team GPA is an embarrassment.

[Wildcatk23]

Most other schools manage to have better team GPAs. The UK team GPA is an embarrassment.

And most schools have 5 players go pro in 1 year?

[Stardust]

And most schools have 5 players go pro in 1 year?

So, it is OK to just give $75K each in scholarship, room and board to four players to just come and go for one year?

[TidesHoss32]

Cal recruits NBA caliber players, not rocket scientists. But dont worry, in five years, when all of his wins and tournament appearances are vacated, it wont matter

Theres plenty of room left on that Arkansas basketball bandwagon!

[Wildcatk23]

So, it is OK to just give $75K each in scholarship, room and board to four players to just come and go for one year?

Did in one post did you hear me say ITS OK!? No. But its how it works. This wouldn't be the case if they wasn't required to go to college for one year. The Schools and the NCAA makes a killing off of these prized recruits. They know what there getting into when they sign them.

[Wildcatk23]

So, it is OK to just give $75K each in scholarship, room and board to four players to just come and go for one year?

Cal recruits NBA caliber players, not rocket scientists. But dont worry, in five years, when all of his wins and tournament appearances are vacated, it wont matter

Theres plenty of room left on that Arkansas basketball bandwagon!

Lol? Alabama has so many recent infractions we could right them down in a "Text Book"

[Hoot Gibson]

And most schools have 5 players go pro in 1 year?

Your point being what? That UK is an NBA player development program and not an institution of higher learning?

[TidesHoss32]

Lol? Alabama has so many recent infractions we could right them down in a "Text Book"

We havent had any championships or appearances taken from us though How many Final Fours does Cal have again?

[Stardust]

^ Ouch

[BlackcatAlum]

I don't expect it to change much at all.

Calipari recruits the best of the best and most usually are good enough to be taken in the NBA draft after 1 or 2 seasons at UK.

I'm sure Cal will keep a few kids on the team that can help with the GPA though.

[Stardust]

[quote=BlackcatAlum]I don't expect it to change much at all.

Calipari recruits the best of the best and most usually are good enough to be taken in the NBA draft after 1 or 2 seasons at UK.

I'm sure Cal will keep a few kids on the team that can help with the GPA though.[/QUOTE]

Why? If the only requirement is to win championships, why waste a roster spot? It's simple to me, you recruit student athletes or athletes. Do you want to be Stanford or UNLV? I've said it many times, I'm not a fan of Cal, but I want him to win me as a fan as many championships as possible. I don't need guys on the roster that are "good kids" if its not his style. If his style is going to be that One & Done guys are what he plans to win with, then get those guys and don't waste his or my time with 4.0's both in the classroom or the statsheet!

[Axel Foley]

If my numbers are correct, the six newcomers for next year have an average GPA of 3.4 for their senior year of high school. Knight has a 4.2 and Kanter has a 4.0.

[Stardust]

If my numbers are correct, the six newcomers for next year have an average GPA of 3.4 for their senior year of high school. Knight has a 4.2 and Kanter has a 4.0.

I don't buy the HS GPA's. My guess is that last years Frosh GPA's were very similar in HS.

[Wildcatk23]

Your point being what? That UK is an NBA player development program and not an institution of higher learning?

My point is these kids are not here to get a higher education. There here to win basketball games and fufill there dream to go to the nba.

We havent had any championships or appearances taken from us though How many Final Fours does Cal have again?

I could care less what happened To CAL. Had he been at Duke Or UNC he would still have his Final Four banner.

But Still Alabama has had 3 Probation penalties in the past decade. Alabama is no cleaner Than Cal.
Why did Alabama get to keep there Bowl Games And Such?

[PC_You_Know]

My point is these kids are not here to get a higher education. There here to win basketball games and fufill there dream to go to the nba.



I could care less what happened To CAL. Had he been at Duke Or UNC he would still have his Final Four banner.

But Still Alabama has had 3 Probation penalties in the past decade. Alabama is no cleaner Than Cal.
Why did Alabama get to keep there Bowl Games And Such?

The jealousy runs wild.

[Ballers]

The jealousy runs wild.

Not everyone gets on their knees for the ACC. :thanks:

[PC_You_Know]

Not everyone gets on their knees for the ACC. :thanks:

Ahh ya know how it goes, Duke has it, other teams don't.

[Navajo4life]

I don't care about GPA's, a 2.3 or 2.5 is a "C" average, however, is the NBA going to ask for transcripts before they pay out millions and millions of dollars to these players from Kentucky??? NO

[Ballers]

I don't care about GPA's, a 2.3 or 2.5 is a "C" average, however, is the NBA going to ask for transcripts before they pay out millions and millions of dollars to these players from Kentucky??? NO

Good call.

[Ballers]

Ahh ya know how it goes, Duke has it, other teams don't.

Wonder what woulda happened to Duke if they met UK in season play?hh::eyeroll:

[Stardust]

Wonder what woulda happened to Duke if they met UK in season play?hh::eyeroll:

I hate dUKe, but that's not a smart argument to make. Umm, didn't dUKe win the national championship? Umm, couldn't dUKe fans just as easily have said - "wonder what would have happened if UK/dUKe played over the last five years"?

[Ballers]

I hate dUKe, but that's not a smart argument to make. Umm, didn't dUKe win the national championship? Umm, couldn't dUKe fans just as easily have said - "wonder what would have happened if UK/dUKe played over the last five years"?

Well, you'd have to be crazy to think Duke stood a chance against UK, but ok suit yourself. They woulda been out-matched, out-manned, out-numbered with UK's style of ball and players.


On another good note.....
Kyle Singler is terrible, Duke doesn't impress me at all.