NCAA bans UConn from post-season play

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INDIANAPOLIS, June 20 (UPI) -- The University of Connecticut and nine other schools Wednesday were barred from next season's NCAA Basketball Tournament due to poor academic performance.

UConn was the most prestigious program to be banned. The three-time national champions were cited for falling below the mandatory 900-level of Academic Progress Rates over a four-year period (2007-08 through 2010-11).

Other schools drawing an NCAA Tournament ban included Jacksonville (Ala.) State, Mississippi Valley State, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Towson University, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, California-Riverside, North Carolina-Wilmington and Toledo.

The sanctions against Connecticut include a reduction in practice days for the upcoming season.

UConn Athletics Director Warde Manuel said the penalty was unfair because schools didn't have "time to adjust" to the adoption of stricter academic progress standards after they were adopted by the NCAA Board in October 2011.

"All of us are disappointed in this potential post-season ban, but this is a time that we need all Husky fans to support our men's basketball team more than they ever have before," he said.