Book Review

Abstract

This descriptive study investigated the graduation percentages and the Academic Progress Rates for those schools participating in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Championship Final Four for the years 2000 to 2004. Preliminary assumptions about the lack of academic success of male student athletes participation in NCAA Division I basketball led to an anticipation of low academic achievement revealed by historical graduation. The findings revealed that measured academic progress was different depending on the methodology utilized. The historical method of utilizing Federal guidelines to measure successful college graduation revealed that overall, schools participating in the Final Four did not do a successful job of graduating their male student athletes participating in basketball. More specifically, African American basketball athletes graduated in lower percentages compared to their white counterparts and the average for all teams was lower than for Division I male student athletes and Division I men's basketball teams. However, when Academic Progress Rates were utilized to measure academic success, participating Final Four teams fared better than the average for all male student athletes and NCAA Division I men's basketball teams.