Terrapin Basketball Misses Mark on Graduation Rates

To be fair, there are but a few scholarships allotted for any collegiate basketball program. So one or two guys not making the five-year mark on graduation can really bring a program under uninformed scrutiny.

But the Maryland Terrapins are consistently in the lowest percentile of graduation rates, and are consistently on the local media’s hit list for it. This year they are at the 10 percent mark . Williams has cited a number of legitimate reasons for poor rates on graduation in the past—attrition to professional leagues being the most used.

But let’s be honest—College Park, Md. isn’t necessarily a hotbed for one-and-done players. Transfers maybe, but certainly not blue chippers with their eyes on the draft.

I have no doubt that players are exhausting their four years at UMD and heading on to lucrative careers in international and development leagues. Not really Williams’ fault, but it certainly isn’t a stat to celebrate in the NBA breeding ground that is the ACC. But something has to give with a program that is putting just one or two players on a commencement stage every five years.

If Williams and the academic support system don’t do it own their own, the media will ensure it remains an issue until it changes.

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