JimBob
03-19-2008, 07:31 AM
Cowgirls perfect in graduate rate
By Associated Press
3/19/2008
Far more NCAA women’s teams receive diplomas, study shows.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Oklahoma State’s women’s team, a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament, is one of 12 women’s teams in the tournament with perfect graduation rates.
A report released Tuesday found the Cowgirls graduated all their players who entered as freshmen during a fouryear period from 1997-2001.
Other schools with perfect graduation rates for those freshman classes were No. 1 seed Tennessee, Bucknell, Marist, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Robert Morris, San Diego, Syracuse, Texas and Vanderbilt.
Only one men’s NCAA Tournament team — in the study conducted by Richard Lapchick, head of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport — achieved perfect graduation success: 12thseeded Western Kentucky.
In fact, only one school among the four No. 1 seeds in the men’s NCAA Tournament — North Carolina — graduated at least 50 percent of its players.
The men’s report, released Monday, found 86 percent of the Tar Heels men’s players earned diplomas during a sixyear period. The other top seeds were far worse: 45 percent at Kansas and 40 percent at UCLA and Memphis.
Oklahoma’s two teams in the tournament, Oklahoma and Oral Roberts, had graduation rates of 46 percent and 48 percent, respectively.
The study evaluated four different freshman classes for a period beginning in 1997-98 and ending with 2000-01, giving each six years to graduate.
Though the players evaluated are no longer on campus, the report intends to provide a snapshot of academic trends.
“Women have regularly been the best news academically in college sport,” Lapchick said in the report.
Among the No. 1 seeds in the women’s tournament, Connecticut followed Tennessee with a 92-percent graduation rate, followed by Maryland (71 percent) and North Carolina (64 percent).
Only one of the women’s teams, Jackson State, graduated fewer than 40 percent of its players. Fourteen of the 65 teams in the men’s NCAA field were under that benchmark.
Lapchick remained concerned about achievement gaps between black and white students, which is less severe among female than male players.
Fifty-five of the 64 women’s teams graduated at least 70 percent or more of their white players, while black players had that success rate at 36 schools.
In Lapchick’s report on men’s graduation rates, 33 schools graduated at least 70 percent of white male basketball players; only 19 schools graduated that percentage of black players.
But the study found that the achievement gap was shrinking. There was a 30- point or greater difference in graduation success between black and white players in 34 percent of tournament-bound teams, down from 49 percent last year. Black players continued to succeed in higher rates than black nonathletes.
According to NCAA data, graduation rates for black men’s basketball players have improved 14 percent overall since 1984.
Two of the men’s No. 2 seeds, Tennessee and Texas, graduated only 33 percent of their players for the period studied. The other second seeds, Georgetown and Duke, had success rates of 82 percent and 67 percent, respectively.
If the Final Four were determined academically, it would be Western Kentucky (100 percent graduation success), Butler (92 percent), Notre Dame (91 percent) and Purdue (91 percent). Xavier, a No. 3 seed, was close behind with a 90 percent success rate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OKLAHOMA’S GRAD RATES
A look at the graduation rates for state schools that made the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA MEN
Oklahoma: 46 percent
Oral Roberts: 48 percent
NCAA WOMEN
Oklahoma State: 100 percent
Oklahoma: 69 percent
Oral Roberts: 67 percent
A look at schools that didn’t make the NCAA Tournament and what postseason tournament the team will participate in, if applicable.
Oklahoma State men (NIT): 73 percent
Tulsa men (CBI): 38 percent
Tulsa women: 84 percent
By Associated Press
3/19/2008
Far more NCAA women’s teams receive diplomas, study shows.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Oklahoma State’s women’s team, a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament, is one of 12 women’s teams in the tournament with perfect graduation rates.
A report released Tuesday found the Cowgirls graduated all their players who entered as freshmen during a fouryear period from 1997-2001.
Other schools with perfect graduation rates for those freshman classes were No. 1 seed Tennessee, Bucknell, Marist, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Robert Morris, San Diego, Syracuse, Texas and Vanderbilt.
Only one men’s NCAA Tournament team — in the study conducted by Richard Lapchick, head of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport — achieved perfect graduation success: 12thseeded Western Kentucky.
In fact, only one school among the four No. 1 seeds in the men’s NCAA Tournament — North Carolina — graduated at least 50 percent of its players.
The men’s report, released Monday, found 86 percent of the Tar Heels men’s players earned diplomas during a sixyear period. The other top seeds were far worse: 45 percent at Kansas and 40 percent at UCLA and Memphis.
Oklahoma’s two teams in the tournament, Oklahoma and Oral Roberts, had graduation rates of 46 percent and 48 percent, respectively.
The study evaluated four different freshman classes for a period beginning in 1997-98 and ending with 2000-01, giving each six years to graduate.
Though the players evaluated are no longer on campus, the report intends to provide a snapshot of academic trends.
“Women have regularly been the best news academically in college sport,” Lapchick said in the report.
Among the No. 1 seeds in the women’s tournament, Connecticut followed Tennessee with a 92-percent graduation rate, followed by Maryland (71 percent) and North Carolina (64 percent).
Only one of the women’s teams, Jackson State, graduated fewer than 40 percent of its players. Fourteen of the 65 teams in the men’s NCAA field were under that benchmark.
Lapchick remained concerned about achievement gaps between black and white students, which is less severe among female than male players.
Fifty-five of the 64 women’s teams graduated at least 70 percent or more of their white players, while black players had that success rate at 36 schools.
In Lapchick’s report on men’s graduation rates, 33 schools graduated at least 70 percent of white male basketball players; only 19 schools graduated that percentage of black players.
But the study found that the achievement gap was shrinking. There was a 30- point or greater difference in graduation success between black and white players in 34 percent of tournament-bound teams, down from 49 percent last year. Black players continued to succeed in higher rates than black nonathletes.
According to NCAA data, graduation rates for black men’s basketball players have improved 14 percent overall since 1984.
Two of the men’s No. 2 seeds, Tennessee and Texas, graduated only 33 percent of their players for the period studied. The other second seeds, Georgetown and Duke, had success rates of 82 percent and 67 percent, respectively.
If the Final Four were determined academically, it would be Western Kentucky (100 percent graduation success), Butler (92 percent), Notre Dame (91 percent) and Purdue (91 percent). Xavier, a No. 3 seed, was close behind with a 90 percent success rate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OKLAHOMA’S GRAD RATES
A look at the graduation rates for state schools that made the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA MEN
Oklahoma: 46 percent
Oral Roberts: 48 percent
NCAA WOMEN
Oklahoma State: 100 percent
Oklahoma: 69 percent
Oral Roberts: 67 percent
A look at schools that didn’t make the NCAA Tournament and what postseason tournament the team will participate in, if applicable.
Oklahoma State men (NIT): 73 percent
Tulsa men (CBI): 38 percent
Tulsa women: 84 percent