Indiana’s perfection ended Monday night as right-handed pinch hitter Trey Porter stroked a two-run single to right field to complete Mississippi State’s 5-4 comeback victory over the Hoosiers at the College World Series before 25,260 fans at TDThe Indiana and Purdue men’s basketball teams showed enough progress that they were not punished in the latest Academic Progress Rate.
Ball State’s basketball program wasn’t as fortunate.
By and large, area schools received a passing grade.
The APR measures eligibility, retention and graduation. This year, the four-year rolling average covers 2005-06 through 2008-09. Programs with scores below 925 out of 1,000 can face penalties, including postseason bans. An APR of 925 projects to an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of about 60 percent.
Ball State’s men’s basketball was the only area program to receive a penalty. The Cardinals’ average score of 863 – sixth worst among the 343 Division I teams – resulted in a reduction of two hours a week in practice time to 18 hours of countable activity.
“From the 2005 to 2008 seasons our men’s basketball program underwent some coaching changes and a number of student-athletes transferred for a variety of reasons, causing the team’s APR to fall below the required 925 score,” Ball State athletic director Tom Collins said in a statement. “Our current coaching staff has stabilized the program, which is evident by our 957 score for the 2008-09 academic year. We are excited about the direction our program is moving academically and look forward to our continued improvement.”
The Hoosiers’ men’s basketball team had an average APR score of 878. But for the 2008-09 school year, the first under coach Tom Crean, IU had an APR of 975, an increase of 164 points over the score for 2007-08. It’s the program’s highest single-year APR score.
“Our track record at Marquette and Indiana shows we have never paid lip service to academics and moving forward as we build it back up we never will,” Crean said in a statement. “It comes down to attitude, focus and consistency of effort and I am proud of everyone associated with our program.”
Purdue’s men’s basketball team had an average APR of 919, with the program registering a perfect score of 1,000 for the 2008-09 school year.
The school said the program’s average score is projected to be above 925 when the 2009-10 data is released next spring.
“Academic reform is of critical importance to the NCAA, and Purdue fully supports its mission,” Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke said in a statement. “We have demonstrated over the past few years that our academic enhancement plans yield positive results. While we believe that a continued critical assessment of the impact of transfer students who leave while eligible is needed, we are pleased that men’s basketball expects to move above 925 next year.”
Notre Dame had high marks across the board, including football (978) and men’s and women’s basketball (983, 989).
IPFW’s score of 970 in men’s basketball was well above the national average (940).
This is the sixth year for the APR. The overall multiyear Division I APR is 967, up three points from last year. In football, the average is 944, an improvement of five points from last year. Men’s basketball’s is up seven points.
“NCAA student-athletes and their teams continue to make steady academic progress,” NCAA interim President Jim Isch said during a teleconference. “The report card keeps getting better for nearly all the teams and all schools.”
Of the 137 teams sanctioned, only seven came from BCS conferences.
The Syracuse men’s basketball team had a score of 912 and could lose up to two scholarships if academically ineligible players leave school before next year.
Colorado will lose one scholarship in men’s basketball and up to four in football. The Buffaloes had scores of 920 in football and 897 in basketball.
No teams received postseason bans. Last year, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Jacksonville State couldn’t compete in postseason for football. Centenary was banned in men’s basketball.
