The University of Connecticut men’s basketball program continues to make an impressive bounce back from the academic difficulties that resulted in a ban from postseason play in 2013.
The NCAA released its latest report on Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores Wednesday and for the second consecutive year, the men’s basketball team officially recorded its second-straight perfect score of 1000. The UConn field hockey team also posted a perfect 1000 for the 2013-14 academic year, when both programs won NCAA championships.
The data released Wednesday was not a surprise. UConn had self reported the numbers earlier. But it is always rewarding when the NCAA releases the numbers officially. The data included single-year scores for 2013-14 and four-year multi-year scores from 2010-14.
The UConn women’s basketball team had a one-year APR score of 975 in 2013-14 as it also won the NCAA championship. The UConn women’s basketball team has a four-year APR rate of 982. The 1000 score by the Husky men’s basketball team was its second-straight perfect score as it also achieved that mark in 2012-13. The team posted a 978 in its national championship year of 2010-11 and a 947 in 2011-12 for its current multi-year APR mark of 983.
“Our men’s and women’s basketball programs have shown the country that you can win multiple national championships and have outstanding academic success,” said UConn Director of Athletics Warde Manuel said in a released statement. “I want to commend head coaches Kevin Ollie and Geno Auriemma and their staffs for the outstanding work that they have done supporting their young men and women.”
The UConn field hockey team had a perfect 1000 score in both their single-year and multi-year scores.
“The University of Connecticut is very lucky to have head coach Nancy Stevens leading our field hockey program,” said Manuel. “Her team consistently performs academically at a national level while enjoying incredible athletic success.”
In national trends, men’s basketball and football programs showed improvement in APR data for 2013-14, according to Wednesday’s data release by the NCAA. The Kansas men’s basketball program has made headlines after emerging as one of the most successful in APR scores. Four teams received postseason bans from the NCAA.
Here is the remainder of the APR information press release from UConn:
The 13 UConn teams earned a perfect 1000 APR score for the 2013-14 academic year were men’s basketball, women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s golf, men’s ice hockey, women’s ice hockey, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s swimming and diving, women’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis and women’s tennis.
Four UConn teams had perfect 1000 four-year APR scores – field hockey, men’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s tennis.
“All of our student-athletes in each of our 24 sports are committed to excellence in both academics and athletics,” said Manuel. “I want to recognize all of them for the outstanding dedication that they show in the classroom each and every day at one of the most highly competitive universities in the country.”
“I also want to acknowledge the outstanding faculty at the University and the dedication of our staff of the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletes. They care deeply about the success of our student and are committed to helping them gain success in the classroom.”
Among the other highlights for UConn in the latest NCAA report were:
* A multi-year score of 960 for the football team, which places them four points ahead of the Division I average and eights point above the Division I public institution average in that sport.
* A multi-year score of 970 for the baseball team during a time in which it qualified for two NCAA tournaments and appeared in the 2011 Super Regionals.
* A multi-year score of 984 for the men’s outdoor track and field team and a 977 for the men’s indoor track and field team during a period when the Huskies won six conference championships.
* A multi-year score of 988 for the women’s indoor track and field team and a 979 for the women’s outdoor track and field team during a period when the Huskies won six combined ECAC championships.
* A 993 four-year score for the women’s lacrosse team, which made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2013.
* A multi-year score of 973 for men’s ice hockey with a perfect 1000 in 2013-14 as the team entered Hockey East play in 2014-15.
* A 978 four-year mark by men’s soccer as the team made three-straight appearances in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals and had a perfect 1000 score in 2013-14.
Last week, the NCAA announced that three UConn athletic programs were recognized for top academic performances as part of the NCAA’s academic reform program. Based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates, the UConn field hockey, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field and women’s tennis programs have earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards. These awards are given each year to teams scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport with their APRs.
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