Good ole Jerry Tipton...

I'm just going to copy my post in response to all of the "Sky is Falling" responses on The Cats Pause, Tim. LOL

Florida 2.96
SC 2.82
Vandy 2.74
Alabama 2.67
GA 2.65
Ole Miss 2.4
Ark 2.33
LSU 2.15
UK 2.02

A few random thoughts...

Some kids are smarter than others when it comes to classwork. Maybe they try harder, maybe they retain information better, maybe they just care more. I think the Freshmen turning pro deal probably has less to do with it. When I was at UK, I found that Freshman level General Ed courses were sometimes more labor-intensive than higher level courses. You may not have to think as much, but the sheer workload is sometimes higher. There is a reason why the number of students in the incoming freshman class gets smaller every semester - Some can hack it, some can't.

UK Men's Tennis GPA is a mere 3 tenths of a point higher than UK Men's Basketball. Are we up in arms at the Tennis boys too? They are only 3 tenths of a point higher than those "dumb basketball players" if we are talking stereotypes.

Speaking of stereotypes, boy am I PISSED if I'm Vandy. They take crap all the time about being "the smart kids" when in fact some Gators and Gamecocks are taking the protractors out of their shirt pockets and smacking the Commodores in the forehead with them.

Bottom line: They passed. Not with flying colors, but they passed.

Of course Todd "Isn't happy" about a 2.0 GPA. What's he supposed say when asked that question? "I'm ecstatic that the team 'got by' in the classroom and kicked ass in basketball." But do you honestly think that's not what he's THINKING? Of course it is! I'll guarantee he would have been a lot more "Not Happy" if they had been a 1.9 average GPA and had some players who couldn't take the court. He has to be politically correct and say that he's upset, and Sandy Bell is upset, and Coach Cal is upset, and they are going to "work on it." They don't want to cut it down to the wire at 2.02, but I'll guarantee they would be just fine with a 2.5 average.

Why, you say? Because let's not forget why these basketball players are recruited to UK...or any other school. It aint for their eloquent use of the English language and their ability to score well on Chemistry exams.

They paid John Wall (scholarship) to come in and raise the level of basketball competition at UK by using his skills to play basketball. Check.

They paid me (scholarship) to come in and raise the level of academics at UK by using my skills to complete coursework, learn, and ace exams. Check, if I do say so myself.

I did my part. John did his part. We both gave UK what they wanted, and left UK with what we came there for. Countless others have done the same at UK, Louisville, or Southeast Missouri State...it doesn't matter. I say GO TEAM for both types of "students", whether they are students of the textbook or students of the play chart.

Keep it real. Quit trying to make these 5-Star recruits out to be students, who happen to be excellent at basketball. The occasional one is, but it's not reality. They are basketball players, for the most part, who want to "get by" in the classroom and chase dreams of making a career of basketball in the NBA. Fans, coaches, and University Presidents want to see exciting college basketball and the revenues it brings...Blue Chip Recruits want to earn life-changing dollars in the pros. Who cares if the kid struggles in Algebra? He wouldn't even be at college without basketball. College sports is a business, simple as that.

You hire a plumber to fix your crapper.
You hire a fishing guide to put you on bass at Kentucky Lake.
You hire a transmission man when the rear end goes out of your truck.

You don't recruit a 5-Star basketball phenom out of high school to bring up your GPA.

I'm perfectly fine with the athletes "getting by"...if the rule is 2.0 or greater to play, keep it at 2.0 or greater. Simple as that. Tipton is just a hometown hater that likes to spew negativity so that all of the crazy UK fans will give him attention.