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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

NCAA retains APR system

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA is keeping the academic performance procedures it uses to determine postseason eligibility, an issue that has angered Connecticut after the Huskies’ men’s basketball team was banned from the postseason.

The NCAA said Friday that its Committee on Academic Performance decided the current system uses the most accurate data available and provides the fullest opportunity for appeals.

Under rules started last October, the NCAA requires a team to have a 900 Academic Progress Rate average over four years or a 930 over two years to qualify for postseason. The NCAA recently released its annual APR report for 2010-2011 and UConn received a 978 of a possible 1,000 – not enough to qualify for the 2013 NCAA tournament.

UConn knew last fall it would be banned and in January filed an appeal for an NCAA waiver, citing improving academics and other changes in the program. But that appeal was denied. UConn wants the NCAA to use data from 2011-12, arguing tougher academic standards should not be applied retroactively to scores recorded before the rule was in effect.