Academic Crisis Building at Arizona: The NCAA enacted the Academic Progress Report to track institutions to make sure they are keeping student-athletes on pace to graduate. Arizona could become one of the first major programs to face sanctions thanks to the recent academic struggles of sophomore guard Juwann McClellan and the transfer of sophomore guard Jesus Verdejo. McClellan missed the first semester because he is academically ineligible, and he must miss another seven games while attending a winter session. Meanwhile, a school committee will meet with Verdejo to determine the reason for his transfer. He said earlier that he wanted to be closer to his family in Puerto Rico, which would mean that he might not count against Arizona’s academic record.
According to the new rules, schools receive grades based on the academic status of their players. Those scores drop when students struggle or transfer to another program, failing to graduate at their original school. [12/20/05]
