Some March Madness 2013 teams don’t make the grade

Six teams headed for the 2013 NCAA tournament this week have Academic Progress Rates below 930, meaning they would not be eligible for the postseason under tougher NCAA requirements that will be enacted in the future.

Oregon, Oklahoma State, James Madison, Saint Louis, Southern and New Mexico State fell below the 930 line this year, according to a study released Monday by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.

Saint Louis, Southern and New Mexico State also missed the present APR standard of 925 -- which equates to about a 50% graduation rate -- but are eligible to play under the current rules.

The study examined APR and graduation success rates for the field of teams as reported by the NCAA. Richard Lapchick, the institute’s director, noted that African American student-athletes continue to lag behind.

“Race remains a continuing academic issue,” Lapchick said. “By itself, the 25-percentage point gap between graduation rates for white and African American student-athletes demonstrates that.”

There was, however, good news in the report. The overall graduation rates for men’s basketball players increased from 67% to 70%. Other academic markers showed a continued, upward trend.

“We are doing better each year,” Lapchick said. “The academic reforms instituted in the past have worked.”

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