The NCAA continues its focus on academic reform with the creation of a group of coaches, athletics directors, college presidents and others that will investigate ways to improve the academic performance of men’s basketball student-athletes. With an adjustment for squad size in calculating the Academic Progress Rate, which measures eligibility and retention of student-athletes in all sports at every Division I institution, up to 45 percent of Division I men’s basketball teams could face penalties for poor academic performance.

"Academic reform is here to stay and we need to work together to aggressively develop and implement solutions that ensure basketball student-athletes are as successful in the classroom as they are on the court," NCAA President Myles Brand said during a conference call late yesterday announcing the establishment of the Division I Men’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group.