A rise in the retention of its athletes helped the University of Hawaii match its highest multiyear all-team Academic Performance Rate average.

UH’s 972 average (out of 1,000) over the four-year period (2010-11 through 2013-14) was four points better than last year’s score and equaled its best showing since the NCAA established the APR as a measuring stick of academic achievement in 2003. The national average was 978.

Points are awarded for current academic eligibility, retention and rate of graduation. Points are deducted for deficiencies. UH said it lost 16 retention points for the current measuring period compared with 30 from the previous one.

"When you look at retention and eligibility, when you see that drop almost 50 percent, that’s a trend we want to continue with," said athletic director David Matlin. 

The success, however, comes amid concerns about next year’s APR, when the turnover in men’s basketball will be reflected in the team’s score.

Since the dismissal of head coach Gib Arnold Oct. 28, the Rainbow Warriors have lost Isaac Fotu and Sammis Reyes and on Tuesday Negus Webster-Chan announced plans to turn pro and forfeit his junior and senior seasons of eligibility.

Additional departures, if they are in poor academic standing, might be costly for UH. Players who leave with academic deficiencies can cost the school up to two points each. Teams under the 930 mark face a possible loss of scholarships or postseason eligibility. 

Men’s basketball had a score of 954, the lowest multiyear APR of UH’s 18 teams. 

"Obviously, retention and eligibility are something we have to focus on in all areas and (men’s) basketball…is probably a little more heightened at this point," Matlin said.

Softball, with a score of 993, topped UH teams in multiyear APR, edging women’s tennis by one point.

Football’s multi-year score of 966 was the highest in the program’s history and made it one of six teams at UH that topped the national average (956) for its sport. The others are women’s basketball, men’s golf, softball, women’s swimming and diving and women’s tennis.

Nine UH teams, the most in school history, had perfect one year (2013-14) scores: men’s golf, men’s tennis, men’s volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s golf, softball, women’s tennis, indoor track and outdoor track.