College basketball

Women graduation rates impressive

NEW YORK -- Eleven of the women's teams in this week's NCAA Tournament round of 16 have graduation rates equal to or higher than their schools' overall graduation rates for student-athletes, according to a study released Thursday.

Six teams graduated 100 percent of the players and eight others graduated at least 75 percent.

The statistics are in sharp contrast to a similar study released Monday that showed 10 men's teams in the round of 16 failed to graduate half of their players in recent years.

Purdue had the worst women's graduation rate at 40 percent. Oklahoma had a 0 percent graduation rate on the men's side.

The study by Richard Lapchick of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida found:

-- Ten women's teams had graduation rates for black players that were higher than the schools' overall student-athlete graduation rates.

-- Ten teams graduated at least two-thirds of their black players.

-- Nine teams graduated at least two-thirds of their players.

-- Fifteen teams graduated at least half of their black players and half of all of their players.

"It is striking that when we look at all 328 Division I teams, 58 of the women's programs graduated 100 percent of their African-American basketball student-athletes while 58 of the men's programs did not graduate a single African-American basketball student-athlete," Lapchick said. "Nonetheless, it is a warning signal that 26 of the Division I women's programs did not graduate a single African-American woman basketball student-athlete."

LSU: Coach Sue Gunter knows some coaches would have given up on players like her two fifth-year seniors, guard Kisha James and post player DeTrina White.

Because of injuries, James and White often spent more time in the training room then on the court.

They rewarded Gunter's faith in a victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay in Monday's second-round NCAA West Region game.

"They were both absolutely unbelievable," Gunter said. "They've been leaders all year."

James went in when an accidental elbow broke two bones in starting point guard Temeka Johnson's face Monday night.

In the next 15 minutes, James had five points, four assists and one turnover. White played 18 minutes, giving LSU eight points, six rebounds and a block.

Two serious knee injuries and a broken foot kept James out of the lineup, but ultimately brought her back for a fifth season.

White could be playing professionally had she stayed injury-free. Her game has changed more in substance than style. Like James, White has had her share of glory. The 5-11 center was voted national freshman of the year in 1998-99 and averaged 13 points per game.

She has struggled with stress fractures in her right foot. A back injury required surgery, forcing White to redshirt last season. A stress fracture forced her to miss eight more games this season.

VANDERBILT: Center Chantelle Anderson is scheduled to visit a specialist today in Iowa to see if she needs further treatment on her dislocated right big toe. Vanderbilt trainer Kris Mack and Dr. Kurt Spindler will accompany her to the University of Iowa, where she will see an ankle and foot specialist. Anderson dislocated her toe Feb. 2 and finished the game against Tennessee with 21 points.

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