UK Grade Problems?

• cbus4life

  Fair or not, this can't help their national perception...
  
  http://www.kentucky.com/2010/05/02/1248238/uk-basketball-low-on-the-gpa-scale.html
• Azubuike24

  

  The article is definitely fair. As far as it hurting national perception, that's already in the tank. So it is what it is. If this said UK's team had the best GPA of all sports, nobody would really care and would likely say that somehow Calipari is fixing grades .
  
  Nothing to really defend, especially considering how easy it is to get a 2.0 GPA. Then again, as we've discussed before, the guys who are there for a year only, and are bolting to the NBA, can you really blame them for doing the minimum? I would do the same thing.
  
  With that said, it's great to be able to recruit the guys like Brandon Knight and Patrick Patterson who will get it done in the classroom and on the court.
• cbus4life

  Yep, Knight is an absolute stand-up individual, as is Patrick Patterson.
  
  Just would have thought it would be higher than 2.0, considering even Kansas had like a 2.9...
  
  I think somewhere in the 2.5 to 2.6 range would be good enough, but 2.0 is just a little too low...
• Azubuike24

  

  Kansas also had guys who were around 3 and 4 years. Aldrich and Collins probably had to put in some work, and the majority of the team was sophomores. It's the Freshman that are one and done that kill this. Especially the guys that decide early on they are leaving for the NBA. I bet Xavier Henry's GPA was under 2. I would almost guarantee that DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe had the worst GPA's. I know Wall's was good. Daniel Orton I'm not sure of, but it could have been bad as well depending when he decided to leave.
  
  It's definitely different when you know you have to come back next year, you can't slack in the classroom as much as you can when you know you are departing. Unfortunately, UK had 4 Freshman who were pretty much decided on bolting in January.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Azubuike24 wrote: Kansas also had guys who were around 3 and 4 years. Aldrich and Collins probably had to put in some work, and the majority of the team was sophomores. It's the Freshman that are one and done that kill this. Especially the guys that decide early on they are leaving for the NBA. I bet Xavier Henry's GPA was under 2. I would almost guarantee that DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe had the worst GPA's. I know Wall's was good. Daniel Orton I'm not sure of, but it could have been bad as well depending when he decided to leave.
  
  It's definitely different when you know you have to come back next year, you can't slack in the classroom as much as you can when you know you are departing. Unfortunately, UK had 4 Freshman who were pretty much decided on bolting in January.

  Azu, I completely agree about one and done's killing the overall GPA of the team..I mean, if you were talented enough to go to college for a semester, and then go professional and make millions, why would you even worry about your grades (as long as you are above qualification grades)?
  
  However, Xavier Henry is actually one of the better student athletes KU has ever had. In high school he had a GPA well over 3.0 and actually took leadership classes to help out the community. @ KU, he actually earned a 3.6 GPA..quite impressive seeing as how 1) its tough as hell to get good grades (if your professors dont just fix your grades for you, but thats a whole different argument haha) as an athlete with all the missed classes...my 2 roommates are athletes here at OU, and they miss seriously half their classes, and they say its almost impossible to get good grades if your professors dont give you a little leniency. and 2) he knows hes going pro and wont earn a degree, so why even worry about good grades? Henry is a freak, how he got a 3.6 gpa as a one and done star athlete is beyond me.
• SportsAndLady

  

  And speaking of Xavier Henry (not to hijack this thread), but he really is one of the most interesting players to ever come through Lawrence Kansas.
  
  On all the KU message boards I post on, there's DOZENS of threads about this guy. It is literally 50-50 from KU fans on their feelings toward him. Obviously, everyone thinks hes a great kid, thats not in question. But half the people say they just generally didn't feel an emotional connection with him and that is why KU didn't win the title.
  
  Yes, you heard that correctly...Xavier Henry is the reason why KU didn't win the title. Two years ago, everyone on that title winning KU team just felt like they connected with each other and knew how to play with each other. This years team, Henry was the one guy who just didnt seem to fit in, emotionally and on the court. I, subsequently, am part of that group. I feel like this team would have benefitted from NOT having Xavier Henry.
  
  That's not to say he's not a great talent, or that I dislike the guy..but I just didn't feel he wanted to be there seeing as how he was forced to go to school somewhere..another reason I hate the 1 year out of high school rule.
  
  I'm not sure if UK fans feel the same way with their one and done players this year and their inability to make it to the Final Four...Azu, what do you think?
• thedynasty1998

  

  As for Henry at Kansas, I would agree that he never seemed to connect to the team last year. Whenever I would watch them play they seemed to have really good chemistry and played well together, but then the ball when get into Henry's hands and it just felt awkward. He's obviously talented, and I don't know if not having him would have made Kansas a better team, but I understand what you are saying.
  
  As for the same at UK, that obviously was not the case. For having 5 potential first rounders and obviously having guys who were interested in improving their stock, I never felt like anyone on that team was selfish. Calipari did a great job with them and they seemed to buy into the team concept, which might actually improve someone like Orton's draft stock seeing as how he didn't pout about a lack of playing time.
• SportsAndLady

  

  ^YEah, probably true about UK. I just didnt watch enough of their games to really see if that was the case or not.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Blame the system, not UK.
  
  I have no issue with this. People want to see high level college basketball and then bitch about this shit? SMH.
  
  If you're that worried about them being student athletes and blah, blah, blah...all that old school bullshit--start watching D3 ball and kiss my ass. Have fun watching D3 ball BTW.
• Little Danny

  

  Wouldn't it be funny if this discussion took place in the AD's office (substitute the names of course):
  
  Dean Vernon Wormer: Here are your grade point avarages. Mr. Koger two C's, two D's and an F. That's a 1.2. Congratulations, Koger. You're at the top of the Delta pledge class. Mr. Dorfman?
  Flounder: [drunk] Hello!
  Dean Vernon Wormer: 0.2... Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son. Mr. Hoover, president of Delta house? 1.6; four C's and an F. A fine example you set! Daniel Simpson Day... HAS no grade point average. All courses incomplete. Mr. Blu...
  [sees Bluto with a pair of pensils in his nostrels]
  Dean Vernon Wormer: MR. BLUTARSKY... ZERO POINT ZERO.
  [Bluto shrugs]
• Prescott

  This is non-issue that only points out the hypocrisy in college sports. It's all about the Benjamins.
• fan_from_texas

  SportsAndLady wrote: Azu, I completely agree about one and done's killing the overall GPA of the team..I mean, if you were talented enough to go to college for a semester, and then go professional and make millions, why would you even worry about your grades (as long as you are above qualification grades)?

  Exactly. If you're going to go make millions next year, why bother? It wouldn't make any sense.
• Laley23

  

  Well, Indiana had a team GPA of 3.16!
  
  
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Laley23 wrote: Well, Indiana had a team GPA of 3.16!
  
  

  At least we're good at something.
• centralbucksfan

  SQ_Crazies wrote:

  Laley23 wrote: Well, Indiana had a team GPA of 3.16!
  
  

  At least we're good at something.

  Hmm, "we're" ? Interesting...that must be tough to split "we're" up with two teams...IU Bball and OSU football.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Um, that's been on the table for literally years dating back to whenever I joined JJHuddle.
• cats gone wild

  Looks like former Gator Eloy Vargas is checking out UK. He will probably have to sit out a year Im sure.
  http://www.hoopsreport.com/news/collegenews/eloyvargasreleasedfromuf
• Azubuike24

  

  Um, no. Vargas left UF over 2 years ago. He's been at a JUCO and doing very well. Would be instant depth for the Cats inside.
• cbus4life

  Vargas would be a great addition. I would wager everything i have that he'll be in Lexington next season.
• Laley23

  

  Does the SEC have the same rule as the B10 about transferring within conference? If so, he will have to be a walk on.
• Azubuike24

  

  They don't. It was abolished a little while back. Numerous players have made the move within the SEC recently.
  
  Ross Neltner from LSU to Vanderbilt
  Gary Ervin from Mississippi State to Arkansas
  David Huertas from Florida to Mississippi
  Malcolm White from Mississippi to LSU
  
  Remember though, Vargas hasn't played at Florida in almost 2 years. He was at Miami Dade JUCO. He was the 26th ranked player in the 2008 class, http://rivals.yahoo.com/Kentucky/basketball/recruiting/player-Eloy-Vargas-46630;_ylt=AmmbxP8G6Ok4sMWip76cfqLwOrF_.
• Azubuike24

  

  Vargas did commit to Kentucky today. That should at least improve the depth up front for the Cats.
• Azubuike24

  

  Looks like Darnell Dodson will be back at Kentucky next year as well.
  
  With Dodson, Miller, Liggins, Hood, Knight and Lamb, look for this team to be a much better outside shooting team.
  
  Obviously Vargas and Kanter will have huge shoes to fill on the inside, but if they are joined by Terrence Jones, then I don't see any reason this team can't go as far or further than this past team.
• georgemc80

  This is the ultimate reason that the NBA needs to lift or lengthen their current 1 year rule. Lets face it. These guys show no ability to be college students. (nor desire I might add) I for one want student athletes at the D1 level.
• thedynasty1998

  

  georgemc80 wrote: This is the ultimate reason that the NBA needs to lift or lengthen their current 1 year rule. Lets face it. These guys show no ability to be college students. (nor desire I might add) I for one want student athletes at the D1 level.

  You might be the only one then. People want to see a high level of play first. And then you have the NCAA whose utlimate goal is to generate revenue.