Alcorn basketball out to improve APR rate

LORMAN, Mississippi -- In Montez Robinson’s first season as Alcorn State’s men’s basketball coach, it posted its best record in 15 years and finished second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The only problem was, that was as far as it could go.

The Braves are under NCAA sanctions for their low Academic Progress Rate and ineligible for the postseason. So, heading into this recruiting season, Robinson set out to find players who could put the “student” back in “student-athlete” and get the program headed in the right direction both off the court and on it.

Robinson and his staff instituted a minimum 2.5 GPA for all of their 2016 recruits. He said Saturday all of them wound up with 2.8 GPAs, including a transfer from Bethune-Cookman who has already graduated with honors.

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