Speculative Academic Implications?

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Bob_Loblaw

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I was just curious what some Gopher fans were expecting as far as possible academic attrition with this team. I know it is completely speculative and I am not going to list possible players because we have no idea, but from reading between the lines it seems pretty likely that we might lose a player or two to academics. Kill really emphasised that the academics need to get in order and sometimes it takes more than 1 semester, so it might be a bit naive to think that we won't lose anyone.

So I guess, are people expecting a significant, minor or miniscule exodus from our current roster?
 

Why Speculate?

I personally find it difficult to speculate on something that will affect our young kids and therefore don't see any reason to do it. What we do know is: (1.) That there is a problem. (2.) That coach Kill is taking this very seriously and appears to be doing all the right things (3.) That coach Kill is very open about what the problem is and what he expects. (4.) Like everything else coach Kill does he is using this as a teaching moment.

I expect Kill wants more than to have his players just getting by so it is near impossible to know how much of a hole some players may have dug for themselves. Therefore I guess we will just have to wait and see how well the players responded to his challenge. My hope, and it is just that, is that they heard him loud and clear.
 

I guess I share the same opinion as you about speculating on certain players or even trying to narrow it down to an exact number. I think it's reasonable to speculate in a broad sense of whether or not there will be a major issue. I agree that it's entirely a guessing game right now and it wouldn't make any sense to start speculating about certain kids. However, there are probably few things that would have a greater impact on next year or recruiting (# of scholarships) than our current academic situation.

I guess I could have worded the question like this "do you guys think that we are at risk of losing some players or if it is just that Kill is holding them to a higher standard than the minimum eligibility requirements when he talks about our academic issues?"
 

Based on what has been said over the last month or so, I would expect some academic casualties.
 

Bob Loblaw

Bob_Loblaw said:
I guess I share the same opinion as you about speculating on certain players or even trying to narrow it down to an exact number. I think it's reasonable to speculate in a broad sense of whether or not there will be a major issue. I agree that it's entirely a guessing game right now and it wouldn't make any sense to start speculating about certain kids. However, there are probably few things that would have a greater impact on next year or recruiting (# of scholarships) than our current academic situation.

I guess I could have worded the question like this "do you guys think that we are at risk of losing some players or if it is just that Kill is holding them to a higher standard than the minimum eligibility requirements when he talks about our academic issues?"
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I appreciate your rephrasing of the question. This is the question I expect most of us are pondering. My answer to this question is yes.
 


Bob_Loblaw said:
I guess I could have worded the question like this "do you guys think that we are at risk of losing some players or if it is just that Kill is holding them to a higher standard than the minimum eligibility requirements when he talks about our academic issues?"
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I was pretty pi$$ed off when I read your initial post...it seemed to be the worst kind of thread baiting. That said, your clarification is only slightly better.

Coach Kill doesn't hold the players to a higher academic standard than the school or conference would. However, he does hold the players to a much higher social standard. They must eat breakfast with the team, go to practice, go to tutoring. No cell phones in the practice facility or the classroom. Spot checks by the coaches in class and at the players rooms. They are mom and dad. They are teaching responsibility and trust--yes, trust is taught and learned, not inate. It's a combination of the classroom and responsibility that maybe translates, in Kill's mind, to "academic issues". To him "academic" means "life as a college athlete".
 

I guess I don't think he is talking about good social behavior when he talks about academics, except for attendance in class and effort on academics. He is talking about some kids literally not being eligible for Fall semester if they don't fix things fast. He did say at one point he had gotten some good news on academic progress, but I have never heard him come near saying everyone would be eligible.
At one point he said he could live with a 1.8 GPA if the player was really trying, and he would not be happy with a 2.5 if the player was not working hard.
I don't think there is any way to really have a clue until the grades are released.
 

highwayman said:
I was pretty pi$$ed off when I read your initial post...it seemed to be the worst kind of thread baiting. That said, your clarification is only slightly better.

Coach Kill doesn't hold the players to a higher academic standard than the school or conference would. However, he does hold the players to a much higher social standard. They must eat breakfast with the team, go to practice, go to tutoring. No cell phones in the practice facility or the classroom. Spot checks by the coaches in class and at the players rooms. They are mom and dad. They are teaching responsibility and trust--yes, trust is taught and learned, not inate. It's a combination of the classroom and responsibility that maybe translates, in Kill's mind, to "academic issues". To him "academic" means "life as a college athlete".
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Wow, I think the coaching staff should give the players some responsibility and stop being mom and dad. Time to grow up.
 

GopherFan75 said:
Wow, I think the coaching staff should give the players some responsibility and stop being mom and dad. Time to grow up.
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I agree but obviously this program needs some serious hand holding.
 






GopherFan75 said:
Wow, I think the coaching staff should give the players some responsibility and stop being mom and dad. Time to grow up.
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I'm fine with it. With the money being invested in these kids, with fan expectations, and with jobs on the line, keeping a close eye on their academics seems like a very smart thing to do.
 



Ski U Master said:
Why? If the players can't act like adults on their own, maybe they shouldn't be in college.
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GopherFan75 said:
Wow, I think the coaching staff should give the players some responsibility and stop being mom and dad. Time to grow up.
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You obviously don't know what was going on here...

They are putting the responsibility on the kids FOR THE FIRST TIME in four years. It was "just don't get caught" before. You have to teach adult behavior to people, it doesn't just happen. That's why we have tens of millions of feral adults in the U.S. It's part of the big picture, and Kill gets it. We will have men playing here, not children...
 

highwayman said:
You obviously don't know what was going on here...

They are putting the responsibility on the kids FOR THE FIRST TIME in four years. It was "just don't get caught" before. You have to teach adult behavior to people, it doesn't just happen. That's why we have tens of millions of feral adults in the U.S. It's part of the big picture, and Kill gets it. We will have men playing here, not children...
Click to expand...

+1 -there are not that many kids ready to handle college and the work that goes with being a D1 football player, certainly not that many ready to do their best at both. There are a lot of kids that are just students who would benefit from "demanding parenting", which is what they are getting. They will grow up this way as well, and some of them will grow up a lot better than they would on their own. I doubt that upper classmen who do the academic work, and get decent grades will wind up thinking the coaches are managing their lives, they just have to show they have it under control. If the freshmen feel that way, great! The odds of them graduating probably doubles. There are kids on this team that will graduate that would not have gotten close wihout the coaching change, it will be the best thing that ever happens to them if they never play a down. I would love my kid to have had a "drill sergeant" in his life (not a fb player in college) when he was a freshman. He got through it and is doing very well in grad school, but it was not pretty at the start.
 


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