State APR report: Georgia Tech to lose basketball scholarship for not meeting standards

ATLANTA — Georgia Tech’s basketball team has been penalized with the loss of a scholarship due to academic performance for the second time in three years.

Georgia Tech’s score of 915 out of 1000 on the NCAA’s Academic Progress Report released Tuesday was below the 925 cutoff point. Georgia Tech said it anticipated it would not make the APR cutoff and reduced its scholarships by one in the 2010-11 season.

The school said it will have its full 13 scholarships for its first season with new coach Brian Gregory in 2011-12.

The APR is a point system based on scholarship athletes remaining eligible and in school. It serves as a predictor of graduation rates.

Three Georgia Tech teams — golf and men’s and women’s cross country — had perfect scores of 1,000. The score for the Georgia Tech football team was 966.

“A goal is for us to raise the bar higher and higher every year,” said Georgia Tech athletic director Dan Radakovich. “Our student-athletes, coaches and academic staff have done a good job of raising that bar. While we will not rest on our laurels, we are pleased to see tangible improvement in what we are doing academically.”

Georgia did not have any teams penalized. Georgia football’s 976 APR score tied for second-best in the Southeastern Conference, one point behind Vanderbilt.

The Georgia basketball team’s score was 946. Men’s golf earned a perfect 1,000.

Georgia teams ranked among the top three in the SEC in eight sports.

“These scores are indicative of a great deal of effort and hard work by our student-athletes,” said Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity. “Our coaches and academic counseling staff have done an excellent job of supporting our student-athletes and we’ll continue those efforts to keep improving and performing at a high level.”

Kennesaw State’s basketball team lost two scholarships and was hit with the additional loss of one practice day per week after scoring 874 to fall below 925 for the fourth straight year.

New Kennesaw State athletic director Vaughn Williams said academics are being emphasized under first-year coach Lewis Preston. The school’s other 15 teams scored above the 925 standard.

“I can assure you that KSU athletics believes that academics and athletics go hand in hand, and we will do everything in our power to give every student-athlete the opportunity and support to reach their fullest potential,” Williams said.

Georgia Southern scored below the 925 in football (921) and was penalized with the loss of 4.47 scholarships. It is the sixth straight year the team has lost at least three scholarships, according to NCAA records.

Georgia Southern’s basketball team’s score was 905 but the team did not suffer a scholarship loss.

Georgia Southern’s cross country and swimming teams had 1,000 scores.