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Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 12:41 PM Jun 2014

Ex College Basketball Star Got on Dean's List Without Attending Class

Source: Huff Post/ espn.go.com

Rashad McCants, the second-leading scorer on the North Carolina basketball team that won the 2004-05 national title, told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that tutors wrote his term papers, he rarely went to class for about half his time at UNC, and he remained able to play largely because he took bogus classes designed to keep athletes academically eligible.

McCants told "Outside the Lines" that he could have been academically ineligible to play during the championship season had he not been provided the assistance. Further, he said head basketball coach Roy Williams knew about the "paper-class" system at UNC. The so-called paper classes didn't require students to go to class; rather, students were required to submit only one term paper to receive a grade.


McCants also told "Outside the Lines" that he even made the Dean's List in Spring 2005 despite not attending any of his four classes for which he received straight-A grades. He said advisers and tutors who worked with the basketball program steered him to take the paper classes within the African-American Studies program.


Read more: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/11036924/former-north-carolina-basketball-star-rashad-mccants-says-took-sham-classes



Something many assumed, but this person has let the truth out of the bag...Let's see what happens...
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Ex College Basketball Star Got on Dean's List Without Attending Class (Original Post) Stuart G Jun 2014 OP
I am reminded of a story I heard years ago. some big football star, who had, presumably, niyad Jun 2014 #1
This also explains why a lot of jocks are functionally illiterate. n/t cosmicone Jun 2014 #2
Good Point..functionally illiterate, but this player has broken an unspoken rule. Stuart G Jun 2014 #11
I'm shocked that people in the black studies department went along with this XemaSab Jun 2014 #3
the problem was that melm00se Jun 2014 #7
So when is Illinois declared 2005 national men's basketball champs? JeffHead Jun 2014 #4
Ha, beat me to it! Strelnikov_ Jun 2014 #8
They earned it dbackjon Jun 2014 #17
The truth wasn't all ready out of the bag? iandhr Jun 2014 #5
This has been going on for some time... KansDem Jun 2014 #6
How will unionizing "scholar" athletes address this problem? 1000words Jun 2014 #9
Yes, and it's hurting the athletes by denying them their eductation BrotherIvan Jun 2014 #10
Coaches are among the highest paid public servants in any state. sevenity Jun 2014 #12
Welcome to Du Stuart G Jun 2014 #13
Coaches are paid melm00se Jun 2014 #14
highest paid public employees Mosby Jun 2014 #19
I believe "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" had an episode on this, earlier this year... Deuce Jun 2014 #15
Beating my Illinois team dbackjon Jun 2014 #16
Um MFrohike Jun 2014 #18
I suggest you support your assertion tabasco Jun 2014 #20
You asked for it MFrohike Jun 2014 #22
It's being reported that he also said that he was a prisoner WhoWoodaKnew Jun 2014 #21
McCants not only lacks credibility, many others do not corroborate his stories. alp227 Jun 2014 #23
Ironically, there was one big college program known for not engaging in this kind of stuff alcibiades_mystery Jun 2014 #24
My suite mates (yes, I get the entendre) during my senior year were on the basketball team. TexasTowelie Jun 2014 #25
How about requiring the NBA/NFL to establish a farm league system blueridge3210 Jun 2014 #26

niyad

(112,440 posts)
1. I am reminded of a story I heard years ago. some big football star, who had, presumably,
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 12:50 PM
Jun 2014

graduated from college, was being given a tour of some college where he was going to be giving a speech. the story goes that he was shown into a classroom, and said, "oh, so this is what they look like".

Stuart G

(38,365 posts)
11. Good Point..functionally illiterate, but this player has broken an unspoken rule.
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 04:15 PM
Jun 2014

"Never talk about not going to class or not having to do anything."

I wonder how far this will go, given all the money involved, especially TV ratings and games. I thought this would be something very big, now, I think there will not be much news about this...$$$$$$$..that is why..

XemaSab

(60,212 posts)
3. I'm shocked that people in the black studies department went along with this
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 12:58 PM
Jun 2014

Whoever approved this needs to be fired.

Strelnikov_

(7,772 posts)
8. Ha, beat me to it!
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 01:25 PM
Jun 2014

That game was painful.

May . . . ass bump . . . ass bump . . . ass bump . . . shoot.

Augie . . . brush the opponent . . . foul.

KansDem

(28,498 posts)
6. This has been going on for some time...
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 01:11 PM
Jun 2014

If I recollect correctly, I saw a "60 Minutes" program during the 1970s in which a college athlete was profiled. He graduated from college but could not read a restaurant menu.

Here's a more-recent report from TYT:



It's all about $$$$$...
 

1000words

(7,051 posts)
9. How will unionizing "scholar" athletes address this problem?
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 01:30 PM
Jun 2014

This behavior is rampant amongst highly-rated recruits.

BrotherIvan

(9,126 posts)
10. Yes, and it's hurting the athletes by denying them their eductation
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 02:42 PM
Jun 2014

That's supposed to be part of the deal and their compensation for working. There should be some system that helps all athletes to get an education that works with their schedule, such as classes in the off season or summer. Or hell, a free ride for however long it takes them to finish their classes but not permanent eligibility to play. A lot of these athletes don't make it to the pros, why not finish their education after? The trouble is, many athletes miss most of high school for the same reason and are too far behind to catch up in college while working/playing full time.

Our neighbor was an Olympic swimmer. The first time he was on the team, it was the year of the boycott. The second Olympics, he went in with the world record and hopes to win a gold medal. In the warm up, he pulled a muscle and never got to compete. But because he had an athletic scholarship to Stanford, he was able to finish his education and went to law school. Not every athlete makes it; they deserve the education they are promised.

sevenity

(2 posts)
12. Coaches are among the highest paid public servants in any state.
Fri Jun 6, 2014, 04:39 PM
Jun 2014

You have to have skilled players (grades are not important) to keep your inflated salary so... here we are.

MFrohike

(1,980 posts)
22. You asked for it
Sat Jun 7, 2014, 02:30 PM
Jun 2014

In a series of Facebook posts from 3 years ago, McCants and his father make the absurd claim that Roy Williams secretly had him blackballed from the NBA.

http://www.frumpzilla.com/frumpzilla_site/articles/rashad-mccants-also-not-a-fan-of-roy-williams/

His current claims are pretty funny, given his most famous quotation. He claimed that having to go to class and practice, while not making an ass of himself, was like being in jail. It gets kinda curious that years into the AFAM investigation, he suddenly remembers never having gone to class, while famously bitching about it almost 10 years ago.

WhoWoodaKnew

(847 posts)
21. It's being reported that he also said that he was a prisoner
Sat Jun 7, 2014, 09:48 AM
Jun 2014

while in college for having to attend class. Anybody remember anything about that?

alp227

(31,962 posts)
23. McCants not only lacks credibility, many others do not corroborate his stories.
Sat Jun 7, 2014, 06:31 PM
Jun 2014
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/06/06/3917285/comments-from-ex-tar-heel-basketball.html

Also, Mary Willingham, the former UNC academic adviser known for whistleblowing on academic improprieties from her university, has credibility issues of her own, too. Nonetheless, the media has been going on the non stop UNC-bashing trip for the past six months or so.
 

alcibiades_mystery

(36,437 posts)
24. Ironically, there was one big college program known for not engaging in this kind of stuff
Sat Jun 7, 2014, 07:19 PM
Jun 2014

Penn State Football.

TexasTowelie

(111,321 posts)
25. My suite mates (yes, I get the entendre) during my senior year were on the basketball team.
Sat Jun 7, 2014, 07:56 PM
Jun 2014

Two of them went to class fairly regularly, but the third one rarely made any appearances. We were taking the same philosophy class together and we both received B's in the class. He probably showed up about three times the entire semester.

When the team had a good year, they rarely were in class during the spring semester. Most of them only had 12-13 hours a semester including the 3 hours counted for being on the team so it required five years to obtain a degree. They were kept on as assistant coaches during the fifth year in order to continue their scholarships. Overall, from the time they entered college about 80% finished with a degree.

 

blueridge3210

(1,401 posts)
26. How about requiring the NBA/NFL to establish a farm league system
Sat Jun 7, 2014, 08:28 PM
Jun 2014

to allow entry into the profession w/o going the college route? Baseball does this; when was the last time you heard of college baseball players graduating w/o taking and passing classes?

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