Getting Benched

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The problem, NCAA watchdogs say, is that Brand might be touting reforms that devalue education. Now that a school faces penalties if student athletes are ineligible, there's even more incentive for coaches to bully faculty into changing grades or creating simpleton courses. At the University of Georgia, for example, basketball players took a class called Coaching Principles and Strategies of Basketball. An exam question asked the value of a three-point shot. "Athletes won't just be tempted to take Basket Weaving I," says Sperber. "They'll be tempted to take Basket Weaving II, III and IV." Brand is putting the burden on the schools to keep up academic standards. "We cannot be the parent and policeman on every corner," he says. But he will be reading report cards. UConn, the ball is in your court. --With reporting by Greg Fulton/Atlanta

A Smart 16?

If the top men's college hoops teams let academics settle the score, powerhouses like Arizona, Oklahoma State and Kentucky would get easily outclassed

Current A.P. Ranking (Graduation Rate)*

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