Why was UConn banned from the 2013 NCAA Tournament? Exploring the academic sanctions that sidelined the Huskies

The Uconn Huskies were banned from postseason after the 2011-12 season due to academic sanctions. They missed out on tournaments such as the 2013 Big East men's basketball tournament, the NCAA Division 1 men's basketball tournament, and the NIT (National Invitation Tournament).

Succeeding UConn's former coach Jim Calhoun, new head Kevin Ollie guided the University of Connecticut to a 20-10 overall record, achieving a 10–8 performance in the Big East conference in his first year.

Due to the ruling, the Huskies were sidelined after their last regular season game in the 2012-2013 season, which was an overtime win against Providence.

Why was UConn banned from the 2013 NCAA Tournament - More details for reasons behind the ban

The Uconn Huskies received sanctions due to years of low Academic Progress Rate (APR). The team failed to meet the minimum scoring benchmark in the 2010-11 college basketball season, leading to the loss of two (2) scholarships aside from the post-season ban by the NCAA.

Based on the NCAA guidelines, the Academic Progress Rate (APR) is a measure that ensures institutions are responsible for the academic advancement of their student-athletes. It evaluates the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete during every academic term, offering a "team-based assessment".

A team's APR score is penalized if a scholarship player departs from school without good academic standing, or when a player fails to meet academic eligibility requirements by the end of an academic semester.

Exploring the aftermath of the academic sanctions against the UConn Huskies

At that time, UConn currently has only 10 scholarships this season due to the loss of one from NCAA violations and two more due to the low APR rating.

Senior forward, Alex Oriakhi decided to move to Missouri for his final season since the ban covered his remaining eligibility. Junior, Roscoe Smith, was released from his UConn scholarship and later transferred to Las Vegas, playing in UNLV.

Michael Bradley, the 6'10" center, gave up his scholarship to make room for a prized recruit. Aware that the defending national champions had no additional scholarships, the redshirt freshman made an offer to coach Jim Calhoun upon learning of Andre Drummond's commitment to UConn.

Bradley tried transferring to Western Kentucky but was denied immediate eligibility by the NCAA, opting for Vincennes, an Indiana junior college.

The UConn Huskies won it all the next year

Shabazz Napier had something to say to the NCAA on live television after winning the 2014 NCAA Championship.

"This is what happens when you ban us." - Shabazz Napier

The UConn Huskies team faced penalties based on past violations when they were not even in UConn. For instance, Shabazz Napier was penalized due to players failing classes in 2007. His freshman season was in 2010-2011.

This underscores the challenge faced by the NCAA when it comes to enforcement of penalties, the consequences a program receives is dealt by the present players, regardless of whether they were in the institution during the said violation.