Posted: Monday, May 7, 2007 12:00 am
Star-Tribune Editorial Board
Wyoming Cowboys fans should have learned about NCAA sanctions against the men's basketball program from the university, not from the media.
Instead, UW waited to react to questions about an NCAA report that detailed the team's poor academic performance before addressing the issue. Even then, officials acted as if the fact Wyoming reduced its available scholarships by one last season meant the university had already dealt with the problem.
It hasn't. UW was penalized by the NCAA in part because the team had three players who failed to return during the 2005-06 season. But the Cowboys lost three more players this past season: Chris Anderson, who was declared academically ineligible, and Aaron Henson and Ike Okoye, who transferred.
While it's likely the loss of three more scholarship players will result in another penalty, UW won't find out for certain until next year. The team has a new coach, Heath Schroyer, who has pledged to place greater emphasis on his players' academic performance. He is paying the price for his predecessor's inability to get a vital part of the job done.
No matter how much improvement is made next year under Schroyer, UW still could lose another scholarship because of the team's poor academic record in 2006-07.
Former coach Steve McClain still had supporters when he was fired in March by new Athletic Director Tom Burman. Despite the team's failure to make the post-season the past few years, some Cowboy fans thought the administration erred by not retaining McClain for a 10th year.
Maybe they would have come to a different conclusion if they had known the Cowboys' poor overall academic record during the last three years had already cost the program at least one valuable scholarship player, and perhaps more to come.
Part of the coach's responsibility is to make sure players work as hard in the classroom as they do on the court. They are students first, athletes second. Few players will go on to play pro ball either in the NBA or elsewhere. That means the university needs to do everything in its power to ensure its players graduate and are prepared to work in their chosen fields.
What good is an athletic scholarship that gives a player a free ride to nowhere?
The men's basketball program had a score of 881 in the NCAA's Academic Progress Report, thanks to 10 players leaving the program since 2003. Schools need a score of 900 or above to avoid sanctions.
The Cowgirls basketball team showed this past season that it's possible to have a winning season without compromising on academic achievement. The women's team filled up the Double-A on its thrilling path to win the National Invitational Tournament, but there is another reason to cheer: The Cowgirls had an outstanding APR score of 979.
With new leadership from Burman and Schroyer, UW needs to focus on stronger academics in the future. It should send both players and fans the message that the university is taking the NCAA sanctions seriously, and that it won't tolerate sub-par grades. It can't afford to suffer the double whammy of players in academic trouble throwing in the towel and leaving school.
Scholarships are too valuable to waste - for the future of the program as well as the future of the players.