In Recruiting, Grades Matter

One of the biggest, ongoing misconceptions about the college basketball recruiting process is that academic performance is either not a “real” consideration or perhaps a distant second consideration in the college recruiting process. News stories about top players who allegedly “fudge” on their SAT exam or one-and-done players who don’t attend classes in the second semester reinforce this perspective. While such things do occur, in the context of all college basketball opportunities, these are the exceptions not the rule.

To be sure, Division I high major programs are in a difficult spot when it comes to recruiting players whose academic performance is aligned with admissions criteria of their universities. Many universities expect “academic integrity” at the same time that they expect their basketball teams to win. Current economic conditions at universities bring increasing pressure on the top football and basketball programs to improve their revenue potential.

But counter pressures exist to keep college athletics focused on both the academic and athletic success of the student-athlete.Recently, for example, the NCAA released a public database that shows the annual Academic Progress Rates for Division I head coaches throughout their career. (The Academic Progress Rate measures the academic success or failure of student-athletes and creates penalties for teams falling below acceptable levels). The NCAA created the “NCAA Division I Head Coach APR Portfolio” because the head coach, more than anyone, creates the culture of the basketball program and, with the database, the head coach remains accountable for both the athletic and academic development of the student-athletes.

At universities where the basketball program is not a significant revenue-generator, the value of a winning basketball program will not typically sway an admissions office that is uncertain about a student’s readiness for college academics. Admissions office criteria are designed to make sure that an applicant has a reasonable chance of being successful academically at that university. Finding a college that is a good academic match for your player is an important step in the recruiting process.

Contrary to what many believe, the probable academic success of the student-athlete is very much in mind during the recruiting process at all levels of college basketball. Many basketball programs provide considerable academic support to their athletes, but this support won’t matter if the player is fundamentally unprepared to be a student from the start. Have no doubt, in the recruiting process at every level, the head coach will weigh the likelihood of academic success or failure against the athletic benefit of bringing on a player.

The bottom line is that academics do matter and, what’s more, every athlete should set a goal of achieving at least a 3.0 GPA, if at all possible. Many players find false security in the minimum NCAA eligibility GPA for Division I of 2.0, a GPA that would not be acceptable at many universities even for a great player. (Also note that, for Division I, if you have a 2.0 GPA, you also need an SAT score of 1010 to be NCAA eligible. It could be very difficult to attain this score if your player has only been “getting by” in the classroom). Next time your player tells you that a 2.0 GPA is “good enough,” tell him “not so fast.”