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MIAMI - The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics strongly recommended in 2001 that teams graduate at least 50 percent of their players to be eligible for postseason tournaments.
Under those rules, fewer than one-third of the teams would have qualified for this year's NCAA Tournament.
Only 21 of the 65 teams graduated at least 50 percent of their players within six years of their initial enrollment, according to the NCAA's latest graduation rate report. Four schools, which were not identified, failed to graduate a single player.
Players who leave school early for the NBA draft or transfer affect the NCAA's graduation rate, meaning schools with the top talent typically have lower graduation rates.
The four institutions with the highest graduation rates in the tournament are Stanford (100 percent), Lehigh (90), Dayton (82) and Kansas (73).
If the commission's graduation rate recommendation were in effect this year, only three first-round games could have been played with their current lineups: Gonzaga vs. Valparaiso, North Carolina vs. Air Force, and Mississippi State vs. Monmouth.
RATINGS: The opening day of the NCAA Tournament drew its highest overnight rating since 1993. The games Thursday on CBS drew an average rating of 5.1 with a share of 10.
DePaul's 76-69 win over Dayton in double overtime carried the prime-time window between 9:45 p.m.-12:15 a.m., earning a 6.7/11. That marks the highest rating in the window since 1991, when CBS began broadcasting the entire NCAA Tournament.
Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets in the United States, covering nearly 70 percent of the country. Each overnight rating point represents about 735,000 TV homes. The share is the percentage of homes with sets in use.
UNLV: A $3.8-million contract for new coach Lon Kruger was approved by the Nevada Board of Regents. Kruger's starting salary under the five-year deal will $709,500, and he will be eligible to earn more through incentives.
WEST VIRGINIA 79, URI 72: Tyrone Sally scored 17 and D'or Fischer set a record for blocks to lead the host Mountaineers in the first round. West Virginia alternated between man and 1-3-1 zone defenses nearly every possession. The confused Rams were blocked a WVU school-record nine times by Fischer, who added 11 points.
GEORGE MASON 66, AUSTIN PEAY 60: Two days after going 0-for-8, Lamar Butler scored 19 and hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:24 to play for the host Patriots, who won back-to-back postseason games for the first time.
NEBRASKA 78, NIAGARA 70: John Turek and Nate Johnson had 17 points apiece for the host Cornhuskers, who advance to a Monday game at Hawaii.