Houston Baptist banned from postseason for low APR scores

Ron Cottrell's Houston Baptist team went 2-16 in the Southland Conference last season. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The Houston Baptist men's basketball program has been banned from participating in the 2014-15 postseason because of low NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, the school announced.

The school received the notice from the NCAA's Committee on Academic Performance after their appeal of the postseason ban were denied.

Programs need a four-year average score of 930 out of 1,000 to remain eligible for postseason play. Houston Baptist scored a four-year average of 913.

Houston Baptist, which plays in the Southland Conference and has not been to the NCAA tournament since 1984, went 6-25 last season.

The men's basketball program has an 82 percent graduation rate over the past four-year period.

“While our men’s basketball program has achieved a very laudable graduation rate, we did not do an adequate job of monitoring those who, for whatever reason, were no longer actively competing on our roster,” athletic director Steve Moniaci said. “We respect the committee’s decision and have put measures in place in order to prevent this from happening again. We are proud of our men’s basketball student-athletes and how they are dealing with an unfortunate situation not of their making.”

“The NCAA’s stated intention of the minimum APR score is to be a reflection of a 50-percent graduation, and the current national average graduation rate in men’s basketball is 70 percent,” HBU head men’s basketball coach Ron Conttell said.

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