Duke is #2 in student athlete graduation rates!!

[GODUKEGO]

The new graduation rates have been published and for overall student athletes Notre Dame was #1 and Duke was #2 with a 97% rate. In last years results the Terps graduated 10% of their men's basketball players. In the current year results, they are not listed. Interesting!!!

http://www.tidesport.org/Grad%20Rate...rnament_PR.pdf

[Duke79UNLV77]

I'm not satisfied with a 67% rate for our basketball players. This is an academic progress rate, so we shouldn't be automatically penalized for early departures, right?

Which players have not made the cut?

I remember when K would not hang the Final 4 banner because Phil Henderson was his first player not to graduate on time. That's the type of success ratio I'm sure we're shooting for.

[dball]

I'm not satisfied with a 67% rate for our basketball players. This is an academic progress rate, so we shouldn't be automatically penalized for early departures, right?

Which players have not made the cut?

I remember when K would not hang the Final 4 banner because Phil Henderson was his first player not to graduate on time. That's the type of success ratio I'm sure we're shooting for.

Transfers affect these figures, don't they?

[diveonthefloor]

It sounds like the fine print says they do not penalize for transfers or folks who come back to get degree within 6 years of starting at the school.
That being said, are these statistics just for 2008 class? If so, who was in that class?

[30scheyer]

97% for all athletes...swimmers give such a huge boost to graduation and gpa statistics for colleges...cmon Duke and start giving them money

[Channing]

A fact of life with Duke basketball is that players are going to leave early to go to the NBA. Can anyone fault Luol Deng for not coming back to finish his degree? What about Boozer (I am not sure if he finished or not - if he hasnt, what incentive is there for him to finish his degree?)?

I think coach K's rule is that he wont hang a banner for a year if a senior on the team does not graduate. That is why the 2000 ACC banner didnt hang for a while, because Chris Carawell had not finished his degree (iirc).

[theAlaskanBear]

It sounds like the fine print says they do not penalize for transfers or folks who come back to get degree within 6 years of starting at the school.
That being said, are these statistics just for 2008 class? If so, who was in that class?

Actually, the fine print says schools ARE penalized for transfers, but that in the future, they shouldn't be.

Class of 2008 = Freshman in 2004-2005? Because we only had two freshman that year. Can anyone tell us how these statistics are determined?

[JaMarcus Russell]

If you guys look at the end of the article, it says that the GSR is measuring 6-year graduation rates from 1997-98 to 2000-01. So this is including the years of Elton Brand, Will Avery, Corey Maggette, etc. Odds are this is one of the lowest totals you will ever see from Duke.

In the next year's study, which meassures 1998-99 to 2001-02, which is Maggette to Duhon, Duke has a 100% graduation rate of white players, 86% of black players, and 89% rate overall. Unfortunately, it was emailed to me as an attachment, so I don't have a link but I can forward it to anyone who would like to see it.

The problem with these studies is that they put the stuff about the dates being measured at the very end of the article, but then they title it Graduation Rate of 2008 teams in the tournament. Every school that made the 2008 tourney is being judged on 8-year old data. Also, the original article was posted in 2008 so it isn't exactly new.

[theAlaskanBear]

If you guys look at the end of the article, it says that the GSR is measuring 6-year graduation rates from 1997-98 to 2000-01. So this is including the years of Elton Brand, Will Avery, Corey Maggette, etc. Odds are this is one of the lowest totals you will ever see from Duke.

In the next year's study, which meassures 1998-99 to 2001-02, which is Maggette to Duhon, Duke has a 100% graduation rate of white players, 86% of black players, and 89% rate overall. Unfortunately, it was emailed to me as an attachment, so I don't have a link but I can forward it to anyone who would like to see it.

The problem with these studies is that they put the stuff about the dates being measured at the very end of the article, but then they title it Graduation Rate of 2008 teams in the tournament. Every school that made the 2008 tourney is being judged on 8-year old data. Also, the original article was posted in 2008 so it isn't exactly new.

Thanks for clearing that up!!! Wow, it is soooo much easier to understand now.

[JaMarcus Russell]

Which players have not made the cut?

Here is my best guess, based on the 1997-98 to 2000-01 timeline

African-American Players Who Graduated: Shane Battier, Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, Casey Sanders, Chris Duhon, Reggie Love, Andre Buckner.

African-American Players Who Did Not Graduate: Elton Brand, Will Avery, Corey Maggette, Andre Sweet (penalized because he left in poor academic standing).

That leads to 7/11, which is 63 percent. Matches up with the study.

The White Players are listed as 67 percent, which is confusing for me. As far as I know, Nick Horvath, Andy Borman, Andy Means, and Mike Dunleavy Jr. all graduated. Even if Burgess left in poor academic standing (I have no clue, either way), that should be 80% unless I am overlooking someone. Or if they don't count walk-ons, then it could just Horvath, Dunleavy, and Burgess.

[JaMarcus Russell]

Nevermind, guys. I found the graduation rates for 2009 Tournament teams, using data from 1998-99 to 2001-02. This for all players from Corey Maggette to Daniel Ewing. http://www.tidesport.org/Grad%20Rate...s_Bball_PR.pdf

[noyac]

Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought the NCAA implemented a rule that would take scholarships from teams that don't graduate a certain amount (%) of student/athletes.

It may have been an idea not a rule that was implemented but I thought that it was a rule.

[SharkD]

I remember when K would not hang the Final 4 banner because Phil Henderson was his first player not to graduate on time. That's the type of success ratio I'm sure we're shooting for.

The raising of the 1990 Final Four banner was delayed until Alaa Abdelnaby received his degree. The 1992 banner would have been delayed, had Laettner not taken classes in the summer session, to graduate on time in 1992.

Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought the NCAA implemented a rule that would take scholarships from teams that don't graduate a certain amount (%) of student/athletes.

It may have been an idea not a rule that was implemented but I thought that it was a rule.

Here's the relevant info:

The NCAA created the Academic Progress Rates (APR) in 2004 as part of an academic reform package designed to more accurately measure student‐athletes’ academic success as well as improve graduation rates at member institutions by providing sanctions in the form of lost scholarships when teams fail to meet the NCAA standard for academic performance. Teams that score below a 925, which is equivalent to an NCAA GSR rate of approximately 60 percent, can lose up to 10 percent of their scholarships. Teams can also be subject to historical penalties for poor academic performance over time. Starting this year, teams that receive three straight years of historical penalties (below 900 APR or approximately a 45 percent GSR) face the potential of restrictions on postseason competition for the team, in addition to scholarship and practice restrictions.

---

The link in the first post is for the 2008 GSR report.

Here is the 2010 GSR report, encompassing the 2002-2003 freshman class, with a four class average (freshman classes of, 1999‐2000, 2000‐01, 2001‐02, and 2002‐03):

http://www.tidesport.org/Grad%20Rate...s_Bball_PR.pdf

The APR data in this study does not include data from the 2008‐09 academic performances of the teams, but instead uses the four‐year data from the 2004‐05, 2005‐06, 2006‐07, and 2007‐08 academic years. This is the second year without the squad‐size adjustment for most teams that was in place until teams accumulated four years of APR data.

For the time period in question, Duke had a 97% overall graduation rate amongst student-athletes, 92% amongst basketball players, 89% amongst african-american basketball players and 100% amongst white basketball players. (Duke's APR was 989)

For those counting, Maryland had graduated 76% overall, 8% of overall basketball, 0% of african-american basketball and 33% for white basketball players, of those who enrolled during the 2002-2003 academic year. Yes, Maryland went down, from their 2009 GSR rate of 10% for overall basketball players. (UMD's APR was 912 -- which means they're in for NCAA penalties.)

[devildeac]

I'm just glad we were not #1 (seed) in graduation rate 'cuz then there would be a conspiracy theory about that, too.

Seriously, this graduation rate/ranking is great news.

[JaMarcus Russell]

Shark, thanks for the most recent link. I am assuming that walk-ons are not counted in the GSR formula. Looks like Duke was 8/9 with African-American players in that period, with Andre Sweet being the only guy not graduating or leaving in good standing. But how did we get 100% with white players? I didn't think that Shavlik ever came back for his degree?

[GODUKEGO]

Can you imagine Gary Williams out on the recruiting trail, talking to the parents of a black high school prospect. I can picture a dialog like this. "Well Gary I see no black players have graduated from your University in this study". Gary: "Well Mr. & Mrs. Smith, your son can be the ONE!!!".

[DukieInKansas]

For those counting, Maryland had graduated 76% overall, 8% of overall basketball, 0% of african-american basketball and 33% for white basketball players, of those who enrolled during the 2002-2003 academic year. Yes, Maryland went down, from their 2009 GSR rate of 10% for overall basketball players. (UMD's APR was 912 -- which means they're in for NCAA penalties.)

For Maryland, this is way more embarrassing than the behavior of the fans in Comcast. If my scanning of the table was correct, they had the lowest graduation rate.

Loud cheers for Wake Forest, Utah State, and any others with the 100% graduation rate.

[noyac]

Looks like Georgia Tech, Maryland, Kansas State, and Ohio State are all under the 925 cut-off. Does this mean they will lose a scholarship next year for sure or is there some sort of probationary period to increase that number. I have downloaded the NCAA Men's Bball rulebook but mistakenly I thought it would have not just rules of the game but all rules that Men's Bball must follow.

[CA Cameron Crazie]

I have to say that this is one of the reasons I am Duke fan. The kids the come are great, intelligent, well-spoken and respectful.

I don't mean to bring UNC into the conversation and bash them, but has anyone noticed the recognition the Carolina museum has of Dean Smith's graduation rates? Right next to it is a picture of Roy Williams and the only thing they could say was the high percentage of players (I can't remember but I think they were referring to future draft picks) that finished the spring semester before the draft. I guess they aim high over there

[allenmurray]

In a main front page article DBR says:

Secretary of education Arne Duncan is pushing a proposal to bar schools which graduate less than 40% of their players from the NCAA tournament.

However, while Duncan is free to advocate, the NCAA is a private organization and as such should be free to regulate itself as it sees fit and does not need his help nor his advice.

Mr. Duncan’s primary responsibility is K-12 public schools. He should have plenty there to keep him busy without wasting time worrying about the NCAA tournament.

The authors seem quick to forget that enormous amounts of federal money go to colleges and universities - both public and private. Any university leader knows that there are strings attached to federal money. Don't take the money if you don't want to play by the rules. And the idea that somehow the US Department of Education does not have an interest in post-secondary education is just silly beyond belief. And as regards graduation rates, just how well has the NCAA regulated itself? Pretty much not at all.

This sounds like the knd of statement that would come from a web site owned by and affiliated with a sports blog, not one affiliated with a major university with a proud academic tradition. Oh, I forgot for a minute . . . it is now a web site owned by and affiliated with a sports blog, and that really shows through in the above article.