Aggies Won't Get Any Help From Duo

[runaggierun]

admin said:

If Booker and Guions had both earned a 4.0 GPAs this semester, regained their eligibilty and went on to become academic all-americans, would Eaves and the A&T athletic department taken some credit for turning those kids around and flaunted their accomplishments as proof that the basketball program as a whole is ran the right way? Would they be pushing the News & Record and the local TV stations to highlight the players' academic honors? Of course they would and no one would fault them for it.

Therefore, everyone involved in this has to accept some blame when players under their watch, who were recruited by this coaching staff and given scholarships, are, for whatever reasons, not getting the job done academically.

Of course, the brunt of the blame and the unfortunate consequences of these academic shortcomings lies with the players. They are the one's whose lives will be most affected by this.

Neither Eaves and staff nor the athletic dept have taken credit for the men's basketball player that currently maintains a 4.0....I doubt they would for Guions and Booker either

[Bornthrilla]

Maybe if Eaves publicized his player's academic acheivements more, he would have more parents willing to send their kids to play for his program. Right now, the only thing the layperson knows about A&T basketball is that two leading scorers just flunked out.

[Bornthrilla]

And once again, why is this the first time there's been any mention of one of our players having a 4.0 GPA?

You guys can't sit around and cry about the negative press we get in the News & Record, when you don't even bother to spotlight and promote the positive things that are currently happening within the atheltic department. That kind of stuff - along with the 40 percent deans list rate - should be on the front page of the athletic website and should be acknowledged by the PA announcer during the next few games.

That information is very important right now if we are going to change the perception of our athletic department and university.

[truthseeker]

Re: Aggies Won't Get Any Help From Duo
« Reply #32 on Today at 2:25pm »

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THRILLA: QUOTE,

"And once again, why is this the first time there's been any mention of one of our players having a 4.0 GPA?

You guys can't sit around and cry about the negative press we get in the News & Record, when you don't even bother to spotlight and promote the positive things that are currently happening within the atheltic department. That kind of stuff - along with the 40 percent deans list rate - should be on the front page of the athletic website and should be acknowledged by the PA announcer during the next few games.

That information is very important right now if we are going to change the perception of our athletic department and university"


Right now the only thing the public knows about the athletic department at "T" is that they like to fire coaches. Coaches who are out there working hard trying to make chicken salad out of chicken sheeet!! What you guys with the "fire the coach" syndrome don't realize--- how much credibability your program lose when you constantly fire coaches!!! Especially when you follow up the firing by going 0-11!! That's how the public looks at your dumdass!!!

[truthseeker]

Excuse my French in the last post--- and I know my dumbass spelled dumbass wrong. One main concern for the athletic department should be retention and graduation rates. Coach Bibbs just lost a 6-5 recruit to Louisville after she had verbally commited to "T" because L'ville told the mother if her daughter came to A&T she would not graduate!! Another main concern is making sure our basketball coaches have what they need to at least be able to do what Gonzaga is doing---- play the role of the dragon slayer----which will bring national exposure to the programs, which will open the eyes of kids in-state. Because quite frankly, most of the in-state kids who can help elevate your program families are closing they're doors on A&T!!!

[runaggierun]

admin said:

And once again, why is this the first time there's been any mention of one of our players having a 4.0 GPA?

You guys can't sit around and cry about the negative press we get in the News & Record, when you don't even bother to spotlight and promote the positive things that are currently happening within the atheltic department. That kind of stuff - along with the 40 percent deans list rate - should be on the front page of the athletic website and should be acknowledged by the PA announcer during the next few games.

That information is very important right now if we are going to change the perception of our athletic department and university.

Actually it was publicized. There was an insert in a Sunday issue of the News and Record previewing Aggie basketball. In it there was a story about Walter Booth and Austin Ewing's academic acheivements! Don't know if there is an electronic copy available, but there are hard copies floating around the athletic dept.



Also, Rob Daniels was invited to the Academic Awards Luncheon last year which highlighted the accomplishments of student-athletes, but he did not show. As far as being advertised on the website, there were articles published on ncataggies.com last year after the luncheon and the awards banquet. It was still up a few weeks ago, but I can't seem to find the link to the stories now (I think they must have replaced the link with the new Aggies in the Community section) But it was on the front page of the website immediately after the luncheon!

[runaggierun]

found it!

CCIE PREVIEW
NORTH CAROLI
BY TYLER BALL
The NCAA advertises that student- athletes have successful careers long after playing their collegiate sports. In its effort to promote academics, the governing body of college athletes encourages its coaches to recruit students that can handle the responsibilities of schoolwork, as well as succeed in their sport.
Aggie men’s basketball head coach Jerry Eaves has a pair of student-athletes that go above and beyond what is required of them academically and athletically.
Senior Walter Booth and redshirt junior Austin Ewing are expected to have major roles in the Aggies’ run-and-gun offensive attack this season. Both are outstanding shooters and bring an ability to make the three-pointer, a necessity in Eaves’ offense. Booth had a career year during the 2005-06 campaign, leading the team in assists (61) and three-point percentage (.324). Ewing averaged 11.6 points and shot .381 from long-range in five games before suffering a season- ending shoulder injury.
Booth and Ewing bring another exceptional talent: the ability to succeed academically at a superior level. Booth, a business management major, maintains a 3.36 grade-point average and is a regular member of the All-MEAC Academic Team. Ewing, a psychology major, joined the Aggies as a transfer
“I think that the schools we attended helped us tremendously,” said Ewing. “I felt like I was prepared for the real world when I left Woodward. The structure that we had was really special, and I felt as if I was afready a part of something bigger, like college.”
“School was different for me,” said Booth. “I had to wear a uniform and attend Mass, and do things that most kids didn’t have to do for school. But I understood that all of it was for a reason. I think that The Heights did a great job of preparing me for life.”
There seems to be a form of maturity within the two that sets them apart from other students. Their leadership qualities haven’t gone unnoticed by Eaves.
“I can’t say enough about Walter Booth and Austin Ewing,” Eaves said. “Booth came here as a walk-on and worked his way to making me play him. He has come through on the court several times in his career, and I know it’s because he’s willing to work. He does it day in and day out when it comes to academics, and it carries on to the court. Austin is a great player who wants to win. You can see it in practice and in gaines. He does what he has to do to help us, and that includes being a winner in the classroom. I truly love these guys for their hard work and what they bring to our team.”
The 2006-07 Aggie men’s basketball team intends to have its best record in years. The leadership of Booth and Ewing will play a major role in whether or not this group can win the team’s first MEAC championship in 10 seasons. Eaves has faith in the pair. The two have laid a strong foundation over the course of their career by hitting the books and jump shots. Li
I —
Walter Booth (left) and Austin Ewing excel on and off the court for the Aggies.
Aggie Guards Walter Booth And
Austin EwingAre Making The Grades
from Oxford Junior College in Atlanta and earned a perfect 4.0 in his first year at A&T.
The two attribute their academic success to their parents, who stressed it early in their lives. “My mother is a school teacher, so it was natural for me to be focused on my school work,” said Booth. “She let me know that jf I wanted to do anything outside of school, I had to keep my grades up. She and my father still remind me today, even though I’m a senior, that if my grades drop, I wouldn’t play. It didn’t matter how well I did or how good of a basketball player I was, I still had to do my work.”
“Being able to balance basketball and school just shows me how responsible I can be,” said Ewing, a natural leader at the point guard position. “I can’t be a leader of my team if I’m not an example of how to do things the right way. I think that any team leader should be able to carry his weight academically, because when you do that, you have structure and focus. Players can see that, and they will follow your lead.”
Both spent their high school years at rigorous academic institutions. Booth, a native of Silver Spring, Md., attended The Heights, an all-male Catholic school in Potomac, Md. Ewing, a native of Atlanta, matriculated to Woodward Academy, a school founded in 1900 as the Georgia Military Academy.
News & Notes
• N.C A&Twifl field its first team in the Jerry Eaves era with 13 recruited scholarship players, giving the team depth and
balance that were lacking in previous seasons.
• Did you know? Former A&T basketball player Al Attles played 11 seasons for the San Francisco Warriors beginning in
1960. The 1964 Warriors, which induded Wilt Chamberlain, made the NBA finals, but lost to the Boston Celtics. Allies
later became one of the first African American coaches in the NBA, when he took over as the Golden State Warriors head
coach in 1970. He guided the Wamors to the 1975 NBA Championships in a sweep of the Washington Bullets. He guided
the team for 14 seasons, then served as the Warriors general manager for three years. Today, he is a vice-president and
consultant In the Warriors organization.
• Junior guard Sean Booker and coach Jerry Eaves both played at Ballard High School in Louisville, Ky. As a senior In
1978, Eaves led Ballard to a state championship. Booker helped take Ballard to the state tide game during his senior
season in 2003.
• Eaves was the starting point guard on the 1980 NCA.A Championship team at Louisville. Eaves scored eight points in
the title game, helping the Cards defeat UCLA, 59-54, at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. Eaves played in two Final
Fours at Louisville from 1978-82.

[DOOMS]

Back to the topic, while reading the little blurb about Eaves and Booker attending the same high school I wondered; if Booker was at a pwc would he have failed out?

Opinions?

[aggie75]

I think it would be hard to graduate from anywhere without going to class.

[dj98]

(I think it would be hard to graduate from anywhere without going to class.)

Thank You, I Co-sign with that, It is what you make out of it. You don't go to class, you will flunk out period!!!!!

[DOOMS]

Dexter Manley made it out of Oklahoma State despite being functionally illiterate. I know that's an extreme case but it happens.

That being stated I'm just playing devil's advocate here. I fully agree that the kids have to want to do it first and foremost. I'm just wondering why so many that come to A&T seem to lack the desire to want to do it. Or is there some other problem we haven't been addressing?

[Aggie9195]

I had this same discussion about 3 days ago with another aggie. Why are these athletes flunking out of A&T? We know of kids who are labeled special ed. all through middle school and high school and go on to remain eligible to play sports all four years at pwc's.

[Maxell]

aggie9195 said:

We know of kids who are labeled special ed. all through middle school and high school and go on to remain eligible to play sports all four years at pwc's.

I'll take the extreme on the other side. Some kids that are borderline kids in high school come to college with an entitlement mentality. They may have heard that because they play sports that they will "get a break" in the classroom or they may have "skated" though high school. And guess what, they just may at some PWCs(Made up majors, gravy classes, etc) Just enough to keep them eligible. They may also get "tutors" that "help" them do work. They get help enough to stay eligible but not to graduate.

I think at A&T we tend to want to treat the athlete like any other student(being "ethical" ) when in fact they are different, particularly the ones that were borderline academically. The demands on their time is different and if they weren't a good student in high school, they have a tough time. The other side of that is we probably have room to improve the academic support that they get now although kids like Booker probably didn't take advantage of what was available.

Bottomline is that part of our mission is to give kids a chance. Some take advantage of the opportunity, some blow it. Just like in life. We may not have as many safety nets for athletes as other schools but we have just as many or more safety nets for the general student population. Let's celebrate the ones that do well while recognizing we can improve.

[Maxell]

doomsday said:

I'm just wondering why so many that come to A&T seem to lack the desire to want to do it. Or is there some other problem we haven't been addressing?

The problem is our approach to athletics. We don't want to make them special. Our professors think that we would be sustaining the stereotype by offering extra help. Our administrations want to be politically correct by having academic integrity.

We won't recruit the kid that can succeed in the classroom without help but we don't want to give the kids that we do recruit special entitlement. Otherwise we would be pimping them just like the PWCs. God forbid A&T athletes to be treated better than the average student.

Again the school's attitude and approach is the problem.

[AggieMike]

As a student, I can say athletes are treated differently. Being completely honest I think I passed my math requirement because my professor thought I played football (we had 2-3 players in our class but he would always ask me "how was the game?' and I would never understand why)