Kentucky Women's Basketball Team Earns Academic Honors, Ranking No. 24 in Nation
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky women’s basketball program ended the 2016-17 season with a 3.492 team grade point average, which ranked 24th nationally in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, it was announced recently.
Kentucky is the only Southeastern Conference team to make the WBCA Academic Top 25 and one of only three teams to claim the honor while also sitting top 20 in the final Association Press Top 25.
Head Coach Matthew Mitchell (pictured) has put an emphasis on academics since arriving on campus as the Wildcats have had a 3.0 team GPA or better each of the last eight semesters. Last fall, the Wildcats posted a 3.517 team GPA, which was the highest GPA for a semester in the Mitchell era. UK followed that with a 3.464 team GPA in the spring with four players earning 4.0s. Under Mitchell, 34 Wildcats have been tabbed to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and 100 percent of Mitchell’s players have received their degrees.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and junior/community college women’s basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2016-17 season is the 22nd in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
2016-17 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll – NCAA Division I
Rank - Institution - Head Coach - GPA
1 - University of Wisconsin-Green Bay - Kevin Borseth - 3.819
2 - Robert Morris University - Charlie Buscaglia - 3.726
3 - University of South Dakota - Dawn Plitzuweit - 3.704
4 - St. Francis College Brooklyn - John Thurston - 3.689
5 - Arizona State University - Charli Turner Thorne - 3.672
6 - Miami University (Ohio) - Megan Duffy - 3.662
7 - Bowling Green State University - Jennifer Roos - 3.625
8 - University of Northern Iowa - Tanya Warren - 3.609
9 - Drake University - Jennie Baranczyk - 3.600
10 - U. of North Carolina-Asheville - Brenda Kirkpatrick - 3.597
11 - Belmont University - Cameron Newbauer - 3.575
T12 - Eastern Washington University - Wendy Schuller - 3.562
T12 - Loyola University Maryland - Joe Logan - 3.562
14 - DePaul University - Doug Bruno - 3.561
T15 - High Point University - DeUnna Hendrix - 3.560
T15 - Gardner-Webb University - Rick Reeves - 3.560
17 - Presbyterian College - Todd Steelman - 3.530
18 - St. Bonaventure University - Jesse Fleming - 3.527
19 - University of Missouri-Kansas City - Marsha Frese - 3.523
20 - University of Wyoming - Joe Legerski - 3.521
21 - Eastern Illinois University - Debbie Black - 3.512
T22 - Fairfield University - Joe Frager - 3.510
T22 - Southern Illinois-Carbondale - Cindy Stein - 3.510
T24 - University of Kentucky - Matthew Mitchell - 3.492
T24 - Youngstown State University - John Barnes - 3.492
UK Athletics Photo
