Dear Demon Deacon,
The NCAA released the APR (Academic Progress Rate) for the 2011-12 academic year this week. The APR is a measurement used to determine the academic performance of the teams at every institution. The APR is a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete on every team. A point is awarded each semester if the student-athlete is eligible and another point for returning to the program. Therefore, each athlete can earn two points each semester and four points for the year. A perfect team APR would be 1000. The NCAA publishes the four-year rolling average APR for each team.
Once again, our teams performed well. Our teams' four-year APR's are:
Baseball 995
Basketball (Men) 942
Basketball (Women) 1000
Cross Country (Men) 993
Cross Country (Women) 990
Field Hockey 989
Football 970
Golf (Men) 985
Golf (Women) 1000
Soccer (Men) 993
Soccer (Women) 986
Tennis (Men) 961
Tennis (Women) 984
Track & Field (Men) 990
Track & Field (Women) 989
Volleyball 1000
Our baseball, volleyball, women's basketball and women's golf all are ranked #1 in the ACC. Men's soccer is #2 in the ACC and field hockey, men's track and field and women's track and field are #3 in the ACC.
Unfortunately, the men's basketball four-year APR has declined to 942 which is still in the safe zone in terms of penalties (teams are not penalized unless they dip below 900) being inflicted upon the program but not where we want or expect our APR to be. The factor that has caused the decline is the number of players who have departed from our program. As a result of their departure, they did not earn the retention point. Losing just one point on a small team affects the APR significantly so the multiple retention points lost is the major reason for the current APR for our team.
While the lower APR for men's basketball was anticipated due to the departing players, we will see a dramatic improvement next year as this year's team performed exceptionally well in the classroom. In fact, the team would have a perfect 1000 for the year if the data were submitted today. Obviously, the 2012-13 academic performance will improve our future four-year APR significantly.
Jane Caldwell, who is our Associate Director of Athletics for Student Services and the academic counselor for the basketball team, describes the men's basketball team's academic performance this year as the best she has ever witnessed by our basketball team. She bases her opinion on the following facts:
The team GPA of 2.893 for the year is the highest ever achieved by our team since we began recording team GPA's in 1988-89.
The team's spring semester GPA of 2.946 is the highest recorded for our team in 24 years since such records have been kept.
The basketball team achieved the men's most improved GPA from the fall semester to the spring semester (2.573 to 2.946)
The basketball team's GPA is the third highest for men's sports which is the best ranking ever recorded for men's basketball.
The young men we have in our program are dedicated students and athletes. The results of their hard work and commitment to excellence will continue to be evident in the classroom and basketball court. We have found that there is a high correlation between outstanding academic performance and athletic performance. Our basketball players are off to a great start academically which will prove to be a major factor in their basketball performance.
I trust that your summer is off to a good start and that we will see you often at our athletic events in the fall.
Go Deacs!