The Georgia basketball program announced last week that freshman Travis Leslie would miss the remainder of the season to concentrate on academics. Leslie was averaging 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, but head coach Pete Herrmann said his basketball commitments were interfering with his academic responsibilities.
Herrmann discussed Leslie's situation Tuesday, saying that the decision was not an issue of eligibility, but rather a chance to ensure that Leslie would be available for future seasons. Herrmann said the decision was made by a combination of coaches, administrators and Leslie's teachers rather than solely coming from the team.
"He's the same way with the academics as he is on the floor," Herrmann said. "He needs to work harder. He needs to get over the hump academically. He's got a couple classes that he needs to be on solid ground as we go into the summer and the fall so that his future is guaranteed. It's similar to the way Travis is on the floor. He has a lot of potential, and he's going to be a good player, I think, if he continues to work harder and play harder. And he's the same way off the floor. He needs, OK, we've got to shake you a little, and now you've got to really concentrate and work on your academics, on these classes. It's to make sure that your future is good. You don't have to worry about, you've got to get these grades in the summer to be eligible. We want to prevent that."
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
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I think this speaks volumes for UGA's attitude towards student athletes. It would appear they are trying their level best to make sure the student aspect of their time spent in Athens truly factors in their collegiate experience. A broader vision than the traditionally more tunneled one we see out of most AA's.
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