ORLANDO, Fla. – The 64 schools in the women’s NCAA basketball tournament combined to graduate 90 percent of their players.
The findings are part of the annual report released Tuesday by the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.
The study also shows the gap between graduation rates of white and black players shrank to 6 percentage points. White athletes graduated at a 94 percent rate; blacks at 88 percent.
The graduation rates for the women’s teams in this year’s NCAA postseason are significantly higher than those of the men – 90 percent to 70 percent. Twenty-five of 64 teams have a 100 percent graduation rate
Only one women’s team – Tennessee-Martin – falls below the NCAA’s new benchmark for academic progress, and that could lead to penalties.
Richard Lapchick, the study’s primary author, was pleased that the gap between white and black graduation rates continues to decline among female players. The gap was 8 percentage points last year.
BASKETBALL
Lakewood Park senior to sign
Lakewood Park senior Blake Mann will sign today with Trinity International in Deerfield, Ill.
Concordia junior gets weekly honor
Concordia junior D.J. McCall was named an IBCA Player of the Week. McCall scored 20 points in a 68-63 overtime win over Andrean in a Class 3A semistate at Huntington North as the Cadets earned their first trip to the state finals. … Also, the school will have two pep sessions this week for the state-bound team: 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the main gymnasium and 2:30 p.m. Friday in the auditorium for the student body.
Robert Morris stuns Kentucky
Mike McFadden hit two free throws with 8.7 seconds remaining and Robert Morris shocked defending national champion Kentucky 59-57 in the opening round of the NIT in Moon, Pa. The Wildcats decided not to call timeout after the second free throw but Kentucky’s Kyle Wiltjer’s before the buzzer bounced harmlessly off the rim, sending hundreds of students onto the court as Robert Morris ruined Kentucky coach John Calipari’s homecoming.
Women’s coach, Ohio St. part ways
Jim Foster, who won 783 games at Saint Joseph’s, Vanderbilt and the last 11 years at Ohio State, will not return as women’s basketball head coach next season. Ohio State did not specify whether Foster had been fired or was retiring. He compiled a record of 279-82 (.722) with the Buckeyes.
Cavs’ rookie out with knee injury
Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters will miss at least one week with a sore left knee and may need surgery.
Louisville assistant hired by UMKC
Louisville assistant Kareem Richardson was hired as the basketball coach at Missouri-Kansas City.
2 more added to Knicks’ injury list
The New York Knicks say All-Star center Tyson Chandler (bulging disc in spine) is expected to miss about a week and Kurt Thomas (acute stress reaction to the right foot) will be sidelined for at least two as injuries continue to plague their frontcourt.
FOOTBALL
Luers LB tallies ‘Griddy’s’ honor
Bishop Luers senior linebacker Jaylon Smith was named the Class 2A state player of the year by the Indiana Football Digest as part of their “Griddy’s” awards last Sunday. Also the magazine named its Prime Time 25 players for the 2014 class that includes area players Tippecanoe Valley’s Tanner Andrews, Snider’s Rahju Blackmon, South Side’s Donovan Clark, Warsaw’s Tristan McClone and Carroll’s Drue Tranquill.
Florida family sues Browns lineman
A Florida family claims in a lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court that they feared for their lives when Cleveland defensive lineman Desmond Bryant allegedly showed up drunk and shirtless at their home, repeatedly banged on the front door and ripped off a door handle. Isaac and Iris Bakar and their three children, ages 10, 7 and 4, claim they thought someone was trying to rob them.
