UConn to lose two scholarships

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HARTFORD, Conn. -- The national champion Connecticut men's basketball program will lose two scholarships for the upcoming season as a result of a poor Academic Performance Rating from the NCAA.

The APR measures the classroom performance of every Division I student-athlete, composing a score for each team.

The national Academic Performance Rating is due out next week, but a link to an internal copy of the report ended up Friday on a UConn chat board. A university official with knowledge of the situation confirmed the numbers in the report, and said the school had been given the link to prepare for next week's release.

The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the report is not scheduled to be made public until Tuesday.

The rating puts the basketball program's four-year rating at 893, below the NCAA minimum score of 925. The score for the 2009-10 academic year is 826.

The school had no official comment on the report Friday.

UConn has already been docked one of its 13 scholarships because of NCAA recruiting violations. The loss of scholarships due to the APR report will leave the school with 10 for the next academic year.

The Huskies, who last month announced that forward Jamal Coombs-McDaniel will transfer, have eight players on scholarship for next season. They also have signed one recruit, guard Ryan Boatright from Illinois.

Last year, UConn recorded a four-year APR of 930, including an 844 for the 2008-09 season.

"Eight straight years, we made the APR," Calhoun said after being lauded by the governor and lawmakers during "Husky Day" at the state Capitol last month. "If because someone left early or didn't finish, all those various things that get you ... when you have 16 kids leave [for the pros] in a 10-year period, you are more likely to be more open to [a low APR] happening."

A low rating is costly to Calhoun personally. His contract calls for him to donate $100,000 to a UConn scholarship fund if the program doesn't meet the APR. He also will forfeit his postseason bonus of $87,500, earned during UConn's run to the national title.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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