• Basketball succeeding in the classroom and on the court

    Curtis Jerrells and Kevin Rogers -- graduation 2009What if March Madness was played out not on the court, but in the classroom? That’s the approach Insider Higher Ed took, simulating this year’s tournament bracket but comparing each match-up based on the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), a score that gives points to teams whose players stay in good academic standing.

    If you’ve been following Baylor Proud for long, you know that our athletic programs have an excellent track record of success in the classroom. (For instance, those are 2009 All-Big 12 selections and 2009 Baylor graduates Curtis Jerrells and Kevin Rogers pictured at right.)

    With an APR of 989 that ranks in the top 10 percent nationally, the Bears easily glide through the first few rounds of this bracket to reach the Sweet 16, topping Sam Houston State, Notre Dame and Villanova along the way. Baylor then catches an unlucky break in this simulation by running into Duke — the eventual national runners-up — in the Sweet 16.

    In real-life action, the Bears face Sam Houston State in the first round of the NCAA tournament today at approximately 2 p.m. The game will be televised regionally on CBS as well as online at mmod.ncaa.com; for live stats and an in-game blog, visit BaylorBears.com. And if you’re not following the Full Court Press blog for all the behind-the-scenes and beyond-the-numbers reports, well, you’re missing out.

    Sic ’em, Bears, on the court and in the classroom!