UofL’s men’s basketball and women’s golf teams are among the top 10 percent in their respective sports in the latest APR, which measures academic eligibility, retention and graduation for student-athletes. Both sports programs have a perfect 1000 score for the most recent four-year period from 2009-13.
“As much as we emphasize winning on the basketball court, we believe that winning in the classroom is equally important,” said UofL Head Coach Rick Pitino. “Our academic staff and players have been totally committed to getting the most out of their academic abilities and we’re really proud of their efforts.”
Over the four-year period of this multiyear APR report, Louisville’s academic success has come while winning a combined 110 games and the Cardinals won the 2013 NCAA Championship, reached the 2012 Final Four, and won two conference tournament championships.
While the University of Louisville men’s basketball team has performed well on the court, the Cardinals have excelled in the classroom as well. The Cardinals earned a collective 3.40 GPA for the 2013-14 academic year, the highest ever for the UofL men’s basketball team.
The team produced a record 3.47 combined GPA for the 2013 fall semester, the highest ever semester average for the Cardinals and the best among UofL’s nine men’s sports programs. A total of 14 of 15 Cardinals earned a 3.0 or better in the fall, with 10 above a 3.4 GPA. The 14 men’s basketball players were among a record 371 student-athletes recognized on the 2013 Fall Semester UofL Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, highlighting those that achieve a 3.0 GPA or higher for a semester.
For the 2014 spring semester, the team posted a combined 3.37 GPA, with 10 of 14 Cardinals earning a 3.0 or better, including eight above a 3.5 GPA. The men’s basketball team has been around a collective 3.0 GPA for 12 straight semesters.
The academic achievement is not new to the Cardinals. Louisville also received an NCAA Public Recognition Award in 2013 for ranking among the top 10 percent in men’s basketball in the APR. UofL’s men’s basketball team earned the last three Big East Conference Team Academic Excellence Awards (2011-13), which recognizes the highest collective grade-point averages in each of the conference’s 23 sports. The team produced a collective 3.295 grade point average for the 2012-13 academic year.
Multiyear APRs for the most-recent single-year figures from 2012-13 for all Division I sports teams will be released on May 14.