News Nuggets, 01.12.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

NCAA considers sanctions for academic dawdlers

NASHVILLE — The NCAA will discuss proposals to penalize schools for poor academic performance and revamp its current graduation rate formula at this year's convention.

NCAA President Myles Brand will give his State of the Association speech to more than 1,700 delegates and 200 college CEOs and presidents on Sunday, and the NCAA will hand out its highest awards later in the evening.

Discussion forums also are scheduled for topics like college presidents' roles in athletics, minority coaches, Title IX and player benefits.

The NCAA is hoping a change in Division I's legislative calendar will result in more discussion of proposed rules or changes to current policy at this year's convention, which began Friday.

Division I moved to a quarterly cycle for adopting legislation when it broke away from Division II and III in 1997 and then changed to two legislative periods. Last year, members voted to have just one cycle that begins July 15. Voting will take place in April by the NCAA management council and board of directors.

More discussion could help schools better understand the newest proposals on academic reform.

Last August, some new and stricter eligibility guidelines were put into place. For instance, the number of core high school courses required for freshman eligibility were increased from 14 to 16, and this year's freshmen need to complete 40 percent of their degree requirements by the start of their third year to remain eligible.

Schools are collecting academic data on their players from this year and next to be used in formulating new rules. This weekend, delegates will talk about the proposed Academic Progress Rate, which measures academic performance per term. Another proposal would use the rate to determine penalties for teams that don't perform well.

One such disincentive, as the NCAA calls it, would keep a coach from giving a scholarship to a player to replace one who had to leave school because of losing his or her academic eligibility.

A much-welcomed proposal is a change to the current formula used to determine graduation rates. It takes into account transfers who graduate from another school. Under the current formula, the transfer's old school had to count them as non-graduates.

The NCAA will present its most prestigious award, called the "Teddy" in honor of former President Theodore Roosevelt, to Alan Page, a former football player at Notre Dame and first black elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

UAB's Finley among candidates for Senior CLASS Award

KANSAS CITY — UAB guard Mo Finley has been named one of 30 nominees for the prestigious 2003-04 Senior CLASS Award.

The award, sponsored by Bayer Advantage®, is presented annually to the top senior male and female NCAA Division I Player-of-the-Year. Finley joins a list of candidates which includes Chris Duhon of Duke and Marcus Melvin of N.C. State.

The inaugural honor winners in 2002 were Juan Dixon of Maryland and Sue Bird of Connecticut, followed last year by David West of Xavier and LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State.

The award was launched during the 2001-02 season in response to the recent trend of college basketball players leaving school early to turn professional. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was developed to honor seniors for completing their collegiate athletic eligibility.

The idea first came from sportscaster Dick Enberg, who suggested such an award during the CBS telecast of the 2001 National Championship Game when Shane Battier led Duke to the title after returning to college for his senior season.

The Blazers' Finley is concluding his outstanding career with UAB this season. A preseason All-Conference USA selection, the LaFayette, Ala. native was the leading returning scorer in the league (18.3 in 2003) entering the new campaign.

In early February, a national media committee that covers Division I college basketball will select ten Finalists from the list of candidates. The selection of the men's and women's award winner will be based on the cumulative ballots of the national media committee, college basketball coaches and nationwide fan balloting.

The men's winner will be announced on CBS television by Enberg during the NCAA Men's Final Four in San Antonio. The female winner will be announced during the NCAA Women's Final Four in New Orleans.

C-USA basketball standings, scores & schedule

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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