UWM players celebrate after winning the Horizon League tournament and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Credit: Reuters

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The UW-Milwaukee men's basketball team won't get a chance to reprise its memorable postseason run next year.

The school announced Wednesday that it has been informed by the NCAA's Committee on Academic Performance that it was denied its final appeal of a postseason ban for 2014-'15 because of cumulative Academic Performance Rate (APR) scores.

That means the Panthers won't be allowed to compete in the Horizon League Tournament, which they unexpectedly won in March, or the NCAA Tournament, which they reached for the first time since 2006.

The penalty is not the result of a violation of NCAA rules and applies only to the 2014-'15 postseason. It also only applies to the men's basketball team.

"The academic success of our student-athletes will always be the top priority in the Milwaukee athletic department," athletic director Amanda Braun said in a statement released by the school.

"We are aware that problems did occur in the past, but we have faced them and made changes and are accepting the consequences from the NCAA. Well before we even started the appeals process, we began implementing new processes to help all of our student-athletes have more success in the classroom."

Among the changes made by UWM are two additional academic advisers, up from the one made available to the team prior to 2011; a class for incoming players helping them transition to college life, which was made available two years ago; and screening for learning needs to identify anyone who may need additional support, which began in fall 2013.

The APR, as defined by the NCAA, is a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete each term. A perfect score would be 1,000, while a score of 925 translates to roughly a 50% graduation rate.

Teams lose points if a scholarship player leaves at the end of a semester and is not in good academic standing or if a scholarship player is not academically eligible at the end of a semester.

The men's basketball score was 908, falling below the new mandated minimum of 930. This year was the first UWM needed to be at 930 or higher with its average scores that covered the four-season window from 2009-'10 through 2012-'13.

Connecticut, which won the NCAA title Monday, was barred from postseason play last season after falling below the APR baseline requirement in 2010-'11.

"This year our men's basketball program has done extraordinarily well and we have a lot to be proud of both on and off the court," Braun said. "We are fully confident we have addressed the issues when it comes to the academic performance of our student-athletes."

A postseason ban isn't the only price UWM will pay next season. The team will also have to replace four hours of practice each week with four hours of academic activities, with basketball-related activities also being limited to five days instead of six.

"I am very proud of the steps that we have taken in regards to the APR score," coach Rob Jeter said in the statement. "The quality of the student-athletes in our program cannot be stressed enough and we are fully committed to supporting them."

With three starters, four of their top seven scorers returning and two key redshirts in Akeem Springs and Trinson White eligible, the Panthers appeared to have been positioned well for another postseason run in 2014-'15.

Instead, they'll have to settle for contending only for the Horizon League's regular-season title.

Jeter did not return a message seeking further comment.