Brad Reese was LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson’s first acquisition in Baton Rouge — his first commitment. Reese, a 6-foot-7-inch combo guard from Gulf Coast Community College, was all set to wear a purple-andgold uniform.Then Reese decided to visit Oklahoma State without telling Johnson. Johnson pulled the scholarship. It wasn’t just because Reese had visited another school     — it was the chance Reese could leave while at LSU. Enter the APR, or the Academic Progress Rate. The APR is the system instituted by the NCAA to measure athletes in the classroom. A school’s APR can drop if a student leaves while in poor academic standing. The APR uses a points system to evalute schools. An unblemished academic record will net a score of 1,000. If that score dips below 925, the said program could lose a scholarship. A score less than 900 yields further sanctions. The program began calculating rates during the 2003-04 academic year. Johnson, who took over an LSU program with an already-putrid APR, couldn’t take the chance that Reese, who currently plays at Texas Tech, would leave. Thus, he yanked his scholarship offer. “We couldn’t take a chance on him,” Johnson said. “He could have been a great player, but we couldn’t risk him leaving.”The system has affected many coaches’ recruiting. They take less chances because a player who doesn’t pan out could produce serious APR consequences. “How does it tie into our recruiting?” Johnson said. “Well, obviously you have to get guys that can play and get an education. You can’t sign a guy who is a high-caliber player that will come in here and isn’t ready to do the classwork. That’s the fine line.”LSU’s APR scores in men’s basketball have been subpar. The current data has LSU at a 942, the first score above 925 since scores were posted in 2005. The Tigers started the program with a 926 for the 2003-04 year. It only got worse from there. Former coach John Brady posted an 860 score for the 2004-05 year, inducing a stern warning from the NCAA. A 903 the next season along with a 910 for 2006-07 could have been cause for worry. The turmoil can be especially tough with coaching changes. New coaches might not mesh well with the old regime’s players. Players could bolt, and points might be lost.  Johnson said he is trying to build the foundation of the basketball program to prevent turnover. “Because our program has a base now, these guys that are moving through are going to graduate,” Johnson said. “It’s proven when they take care of their business and they’re academically and socially accountable, you win. You overachieve. That’s why the Dukes, Stanfords, Michigan States and Butlers are so successful. That’s what their [programs are] about.”Vanderbilt’s program is also a perfect example. The Commodores currently boast a score of 975.”It hasn’t affected our recruiting at all,” said Vanderbilt assistant coach Dan Muller. “We have a pretty established base here. When you have coaching changes, I think that’s when the APR really hurts you.”LSU’s number might be worse when the next round of scores comes out in May. The dismissal of forward Delwan Graham hurt, though unrelated to academics, according to Johnson. The pending eligibilty of junior guard Bo Spencer could be a serious detriment to the score. “When I took this job, the freshman class had to be successful,” Johnson said. “With Delwan’s situation what it is, we lost points.”Johnson also said if one player flunks out of school, the Tigers will lose a scholarship. “It’s pretty close,” Johnson said. ”If we have a guy who is academically ineligible off the team this year, we lose a scholarship next year. If we have two, we lose two.”The administration knows the situation Johnson inherited. It was why they hired him. “He’s a guy I sincerely believe cares about the academic side,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director Herb Vincent. “He’s a guy that understands the need for discipline in athletics. He’s taken over a program with a very low APR, and he’s going to struggle for a few years trying to get that score up.”Some agree the system is not perfect. While its intent might be noble, it isn’t the easiest system to work with. “I think it’s flawed in some regards because of the nature of some sports, and it’s difficult to motivate some students who have professional or other career goals they want to pursue,” said Miriam Segar, associate athletic director for student services. “It’s hard to keep those kids in school if they don’t want to be.”Still, some don’t think the system is stringent enough. Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, believes the APR is a good start. “I think the APR is a part of the solution,” Duncan said in a teleconference. “I think it doesn’t go far enough, though. What teams are playing for is the postseason opportunity. That’s the prize. If we are a little more responsible about which teams get to compete for that prize, we can change the behavior.” Duncan went further, saying he “wasn’t wedded” to the APR. He did propose a measure preventing teams with lower than a 40 percent graduation rate from participating in the postseason. Johnson disagrees with the notion. He said he believes Duncan is wrong in judging certain programs over a long period. “He’s saying not enough, but before you start speaking out like that, come up with the hard cold facts, and come up with a valid system,” Johnson said. “Associate the penalty with the player or coach involved, not with the program.” The system, though not perfect in Johnson’s mind, is in place. Every coach has to abide by the same rules. “It is what it is,” Johnson said. “It’s a complicated system. We have to deal with it.”
 
 
 
—-Contact Chris Branch at [email protected]