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SEC coaches turn to network, schedules for help

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

DESTIN, Fla. (AP) — New Auburn coach Bruce Pearl has some ideas about raising the profile of men’s basketball in the Southeastern Conference.

Most of them involve the SEC Network. One of them would be must-see TV.

“Bring the SEC Network to my home, let them see a barbecue and let them see what a barbecue looks like,” Pearl said. “Let them see me cooking.”

The suggestion drew laughs since the former Tennessee coach was fired after he invited recruit Aaron Craft to his home for a barbecue in 2010 and later lied about it to NCAA investigators. Pearl ended up with a three-year, show-cause penalty.

“Got to make sure the guest list is what it needs to be, right?” Pearl said, taking a playful shot at himself. “But don’t you think the fans want to see that? So much of what we do is beyond just the basketball.”

Pearl and his fellow SEC coaches are counting on the SEC Network’s national exposure and better non-conference schedules to bolster a league that has been criticized in recent years for a lack of depth.

The football powerhouse has been far from a hardwood heavyweight — even with Kentucky and Florida advancing to this year’s Final Four. The league ranked seventh in conference RPI last season, got just three teams in the NCAA tournament and then had two coaches at high-profile places leave for other jobs.

Missouri’s Frank Haith bolted for Tulsa, and Tennessee’s Cuonzo Martin jumped to Cal. Those moves did little to change the SEC’s reputation as a mostly football-first conference.

Coaches and administrators are looking for solutions that would ultimately land teams in the NCAA tournament.

“This is as focused as I’ve seen this league and these coaches and the programs and the ADs in how do we move this ball forward,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “We had three teams in the Elite Eight, two teams in the Final Four, a team in the national championship game and still … come on now. Our goal is let’s get half of our teams in within the next three years and two of us playing for a national championship.”

That’s fairly ambitious for a league that has gotten five teams in the NCAA tournament just once in the last five years.

Better nonconference schedules could help. The league hired former NCAA tournament guru Greg Shaheen as a scheduling consultant last year.

Shaheen made his second consecutive trip to the annual SEC meetings this week, giving detailed presentations to coaches and athletic directors. It’s essentially scheduling analytics, which show coaches that who they play in November and December affects everyone they play — fellow SEC teams — in January and February.

The SEC also started approving non-conference schedules.

But the league is going a step further this year, mandating three permanent, home-and-home opponents on everyone’s 18-game conference schedule. And Commissioner Mike Slive plans on pitting the best against the best, essentially strengthening schedules across the board for the top half of the league while weakening those for the others.

“If every program just took the bottom-feeder off its schedule — just one bottom-feeder — then we go from seventh in RPI to second,” Pearl said. “What’s best for the league is what’s best for the upper half of the league. Let’s look at the best playing against the best because that’s what fans want, that’s what television wants and that ultimately is going to get us more teams in the tournament.”

The SEC Network, which is scheduled to launch in August, could create more basketball awareness of the league in a football-dominated region as well as other parts of the nation.

“This has got to be a cool league to play basketball in,” Calipari said. “This TV ties it to a different level. You define the narrative. They can’t write the story about you, ‘The league’s this, the league’s that.’ You have your own narrative now and you also can be transparent. So the narrative that’s not accurate, people can see is it accurate or not accurate? It’s out there for everybody to see.”

The narrative last season, and the year before, wasn’t very good.

More exposure, better recruiting and improved non-conference scheduling could change that.

Pearl’s return — and maybe his barbecue — might help, too.

“He’s going to do a fine job,” Calipari said. “I just told him, ‘Keep your shirt on and don’t be painting your body.'”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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