Hayward's cousin, dies from a fatal overdose of heroine. Hayward decides, to take the matters into his own hands by getting revenge, at the drug dealer who was responsible for his cousin's death.
Mack Wade, a "can't-miss" basketball prospect, transfers to Carver to finish out high school. Wade has tons of scholarship offers from colleges, both academic and athletic. However, when Wade starts having troubles in the classroom, Coach Reeves realizes Mack has been passed through because of his basketball potential, even though he's a group two functional illiterate.
A high school team from the Soviet Union decides to make a stop and Carver and play the team in an exhibition game. There is some tension, but the two teams warm up to one another and establish a friendship, especially Hayward and one of the Soviets. However, when that player decides to defect and Hayward decides to help him it almost causes an international incident.
Coolidge is offered a role on a television series about life on an inner-city high school campus. His character becomes a hit and soon all the adulation goes to his head and causes him to forget where he came from.
As graduation approaches, Hayward begins the process of applying for various scholarships with little success. In the meantime, Goldstein gets awarded a scholarship but for some reason refuses it. Goldstein then makes a very important decision that will change his life for a few years even without going to college. Also, Ken is invited to go on a tour of Europe with several of his fellow teachers, but when he finds out that the first week of the tour coincides with the US Open golf tournament he cancels out even though it means he might mess up his relationship with ...