UofL Men’s Basketball Team Successful in Classroom Too

Mark BlankenbakerDecember 19, 2018

While the University of Louisville men’s basketball has been successful on the court this season, grade point averages from the recently completed 2018 UofL fall semester reflect that the Cardinals have excelled in the classroom as well.

The Cardinals achieved a collective 3.352 grade-point average for the 2018 fall semester, with 11 of 14 student-athletes earning a 3.0 or better GPA. Six Cardinals achieved above a 3.5 or better semester GPA.

“It is clear that our team has invested a great deal of time and effort into their academic pursuits,” said UofL Coach Chris Mack. “While they have commitments to basketball and other endeavors, it is great to see that they are achieving in the classroom and working toward the goal of earning their degrees.”

The academic scores maintain a level of academic success that the Cardinals have accomplished for several years. The men’s basketball team has attained a collective 3.0 GPA for 20 of the last 21 semesters. The team produced a record 3.40 GPA for the 2013-14 academic year.

Louisville has received an NCAA Public Recognition Award each of the last six years for ranking among the top 10 percent in men’s basketball in the Academic Progress Rate, which measures academic eligibility, retention and graduation for student-athletes. Louisville is one of just nine schools in the nation, including only three from Power 5 conferences, which has earned the APR recognition each of the last six years. Louisville is one of only two Division I schools in the nation to have perfect men’s basketball multi-year APR scores four of the past five years.

Five Cardinals were named to the 2018 All-ACC Academic Team and UofL has produced an ACC-best 25 selections over its four years in the league. Louisville placed a league-high six individuals on the 2017 ACC All-Academic Team, and a conference-best seven on the team in 2015 and 2016. Prior to entering the ACC, UofL’s men’s basketball team earned four straight league Team Academic Excellence Awards, recognizing the highest collective grade-point averages in each of the conference sports (2014 American Athletic Conference, 2011-13 Big East).

Louisville (8-3), ranked 18th in the NCAA Men’s Basketball NET ratings, plays its third of five straight at home in the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals face the Robert Morris Colonials on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.