While the University of Louisville men’s basketball has been successful on the court this season, figures from the 2016 UofL fall semester also reflect that the ninth-ranked Cardinals have also achieved success academically.
The Cardinals collectively achieved a 3.18 grade-point average for the 2016 fall semester, with 10 of 15 student-athletes earning a 3.0 or better GPA. Six Cardinals earned a 3.4 or higher semester GPA. The men’s basketball team has been around a collective 3.0 GPA for 17 consecutive semesters.
The academic success continues a recent trend for the UofL men’s basketball team. For the 2015-16 school year, the team produced a collective 3.27 grade point average, just below its record 3.40 GPA from the 2014-15 season. Louisville placed a league-high seven individuals on the 26-member 2016 ACC All-Academic Team, the Cardinals’ second year with seven selections.
Louisville has received NCAA Public Recognition Awards the last four 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. The Cardinals had a perfect 1000 APR in the most recent four-year period, all while winning a combined 123 games — the second-most in the nation in that stretch — and the Cardinals won the 2013 NCAA Championship and reached the 2012 Final Four.
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 (12-2, 0-1 ACC) will play its fourth straight against a Top 25 opponent when the Cardinals play at No. 23 Notre Dame (12-2, 1-0 ACC) on Wednesday at 9:05 p.m. ET.
by Kenny Klein
