What Happens to the Undrafted? Bringing the Student-Athlete Relationship Into Balance
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN JULY 4 – 10, 2013 B5 BlueJAYS are state champs Local North County select baseball team the St. Louis BlueJAYS traveled to Kansas City, MO June 21-24 to com- pete in the USSSA 14U AAA Missouri State Championship tournament. St. Louis BlueJAYS defeated Grays Baseball out of Excelsior Springs, MO by a score of 14-0 in the Championship title game. This is the second state title for St. Louis BlueJAYS in four years (they also win in 2010). First row: Carlos Blocker Jr., Dexter Swims, James Bradley Jr., Dylan Shotwell, Lloyd Abernathy. Second row: Head Coach Carlos Blocker, Milton Green, Brendan Larkin, Devan Stewart, Charlie Leuthauser, Patrick Sanders, Tyren Ware, Evan Wilson, Asst. Coach LaRae Dixon, Asst. Coach Dale McClain. The BlueJAYS will travel back to Lees Summit, MO the week of July 10- 14 to compete in the World Series. What happens to the undrafted? Bringing the student-athlete relationship into balance By Benjamin Todd much as their success on the In the wake of the report, for poor grades, including 30 percent or more. of their academic game. One Jealous field. the NCAA Board of Directors perennial power house One solution is to change example of how to do this Of The NAACP The student-athlete relation- finally took action. Urged on University of Connecticut. The the incentive system for col- comes from Xavier, which ship in this country has always by TIDES, the NAACP and graduation rate for black play- lege coaches. According to a employs a nun as academic In 2011, 17,500 college bas- been out of balance. Colleges U.S. Secretary of ers in this year’s recent study, the average adviser to make sure that stu- ketball players were registered grow rich off of ticket sales, Education Arne tournament increased bonuses for athletic achieve- dents attend class and study with the National Collegiate television rights and merchan- Duncan, the NCAA’s from 59 percent to 65 ments are 11 times greater than hard. Xavier has graduated Athletic Association. That dise while many athletes strug- governing body voted percent, and the over- bonuses for academics. In ever men’s basketball player, year, 48 college players were gle academically and ultimate- to raise the minimum all graduation rate recent weeks, USA Today’s edi- black and white, since Sister drafted by NBA teams. ly fail to graduate. This crisis four-year Academic inched up to 70 per- torial board and former Rose Ann Fleming began What happens to the regained national attention in Progress Rate, effec- cent. Maryland Congressman Tom advising in 1985. undrafted? Some bounce 2011, when the Institute for tively setting a mini- However, the race McMillen both suggested that Colleges and universities around the international Diversity and Ethics in Sport mum graduation rate gap still is stubbornly coaches’ bonuses should be clearly benefit from their stu- leagues for a few years, and a (TIDES) released an expose of for teams involved in persistent. The 65 tied more strongly to players’ dents’ athletic performance. few even make it to the NBA. black and white graduation the men’s March percent graduation academic performance. They should also push their Many more go on to office rates on men’s Division I bas- Madness tournament. Benjamin rate for black players Coaches’ contracts should student-athletes to perform at jobs. But far too many college ketball teams. According to the Todd this year is still 25 reflect the spirit of teamwork peak academic capacity. That basketball players, especially The report found a gaping new rules, any team Jealous percentage points and mutual responsibility that is the only way we can ensure players of color, leave college racial gap. Overall, white play- that fails to graduates lower than the rate makes the NCAA the premiere that college athletes are pre- without an NBA contract and ers graduated at a 32 percent half their players for for white students. institution for young athletes. pared for victory in life as well without another crucial ingre- higher rate than their black three years in a row is banned Nearly half of the teams that Coaches should be rewarded as victory on the court. dient for success: a college teammates. Many large col- from postseason play. They participated in this year’s tour- for effective strategies that Ben Jealous is degree. leges and universities failed to also lose access to scholarship nament suffered racial gaps of keep their students at the top president/CEO of the NAACP. In the student-athlete equa- graduate even half the black money. tion, being a student must players on their teams. At the This higher standard has come first. In order to make University of Akron, the men’s helped bring the student-ath- that happen, colleges need to team had a 33 percent gradua- lete relationship back into bal- start rewarding coaches for tion rate - and a 33 percent ance somewhat. This year, 10 encouraging their players’ white team. The graduation schools were banned from the growth in the classroom as rate for black students? Zero. March Madness tournament to a paltry 12.7 ppg during an up next to Dirk Nowitzki next CLUTCH injury-plagued campaign last season. season. It’s silly to expect the Staying in Hollywood, it Continued from B3 Italian big man to put up 20 seems that the Clippers’ bold ppg alongside Anthony, but if move to trade for a coach, Brooklyn. Nets owner Mikhail he can get healthy he can Boston’s Doc Rivers, has paid Prokhorov continued to show become a key contributor since off. It looks like all-world a willingness to make big, he won’t be relied on as heavi- point guard Chris Paul will re- bold, expensive moves by ly as he was in Toronto. sign in “Lob City.” That’s agreeing to acquire Paul What would free agency be great news for Blake Griffin Pierce, Kevin Garnett and without entertaining the annual and Co. as the team seeks to Jason Terry from the Boston courting of Dwight Howard? continue its turnaround from Celtics in exchange for Kris Anybody who thought Howard dismal failures to consistent Humphries, Gerald Wallace, would quietly re-sign with the title contender. Keith Bogans, Kris Joseph, Lakers hasn’t been paying Overall, there’s still plenty MarShon Brooks and three attention. Howard loves atten- of player movement to go future first-round draft picks. tion and will make the most around. Players will be signed, If it sounds like Brooklyn pil- out of his unrestricted free traded, released, recycled, laged the village, it’s because agent status. He’s expected to refurbished and more. With the they did. entertain offers from the Miami Heat asserting its domi- The Celtics brass made it Houston Rockets, Dallas nance with two consecutive clear they were ready to go Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and titles in three trips, expect into full rebuilding mode. Golden State Warriors, in addi- more teams to make bold and Dealing away their two aging tion to the purple and gold. desperate moves to try and superstars will cement their The Lakers and Rockets reach the mountaintop. status as lottery contenders for appear to be the early favorites years to come. but Mavs owner Mark Cuban Follow Ishmael H. Sistrunk Still, the Nets have assumed will surely make a strong and In the Clench on Twitter an enormous risk as well. pitch. Maybe if he promises @IshmaelSistrunk and on Pierce, Garnett and Terry like- Howard his own reality TV Google+. ly have only one or two years show, we’ll see Howard lined left to compete at a high level. That means the Nets must win immediately, with a rookie head coach, to make the deal worth the enormous luxury tax dollars they will take on. Of course, as much as he’s all-in on winning a title, Prokhorov is seeking to refurbish the Nets image and turn the team into a destination franchise. Bringing in big names like Garnett and Pierce will definitely help. Once the Nets deal was announced, everyone knew the Knicks wouldn’t stand pat and allow their crosstown rivals to steal all the spotlight. It looks like Carmelo Anthony and company will have a new teammate in former #1 pick Andrea Bargnani. The Knicks will send Steve Novak and Marcus Camby to the Great North for a change to help Bargnani rejuvenate his career. Bargnani averaged 21.4 ppg during the 2010-11 season in Toronto, but that number fell.