Indiana basketball: Ron Patterson forced to transfer after failing to meet academic standards

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Former Broad Ripple High School basketball star Ron Patterson did not meet the academic requirements to earn admission to Indiana University, according to his AAU coach Chris Hawkins.

That has solved the IU basketball team’s issue of fitting 14 players into the maximum 13 scholarships by the first day of classes Monday. Patterson will explore attending a prep school or another four-year school and would have immediate eligibility because his national letter of intent was voided when he did not receive admission into IU for the fall semester.

“It was a close call as far as him getting into school,” Hawkins said.

Patterson — who could not be reached for comment — had received special admission to IU in the summer as part of the Faculty Sponsorship Program, Hawkins said. Many schools have similar programs designed to assist students who don’t meet all the university’s general admission requirements. As part of the program, which is not limited to athletes, a faculty member sponsors the students and agrees to mentor them with the hope he or she is granted full admission to the university.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120815/SPORTS0601/120815033/Indiana-Basketball-Academic-issues-force-Patterson-transfer?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Indianapolis