Basketball Articles

Article / Updated 03-22-2022

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) hosts a basketball tournament every year that begins the week of March 15. The tournament includes 68 men’s teams and 64 women’s teams. The men’s tournament is televised on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV network affiliate stations; the women’s tournament will be available on ESPN, the ESPN app, and Sling TV. The 2022 schedule for the men’s tournament is as follows: Selection Sunday: March 13 (brackets, seeds, and team selections) First four: March 15-16 First round: March 17-18 Second round: March 19-20 Sweet 16: March 24-25 Elite Eight: March 26-27 Final Four: April 2 National Championship: April 4 The 2022 schedule for the women’s tournament is as follows: Selection Sunday: March 13 (brackets, seeds, and team selections) First four: March 16-17 First round: March 18-19 Second round: March 20-21 Sweet 16/Elite Eight: March 25-28 Final Four: April 1 National Championship: April 3 Selection Sunday Each year on Selection Sunday, 32 teams gain automatic entry into the tournament due to winning their conference’s championships. The remaining teams rely on a selection committee to be granted entry into the tournament. This process takes place on the Sunday before the March Madness Tournament begins and, therefore, is appropriately named Selection Sunday. It is also the day when the brackets and seeds are released to the public. Brackets are the format in which the tournament runs. For example, on the day of the First Four games, there will be four brackets and eight teams playing; the four losing teams will then be removed from the tournament and the four winning teams will move to their new brackets and prepare for the next round of games. After the First Four, the regular tournament begins with 64 brackets including the winning teams that played in the First Four. The winner from each bracket will move on to the next set of brackets until eventually all teams have been “weeded” out and only two remain to play for the championship game. Seeds are essentially committee rankings. The teams in each division are ranked in descending order, with the strongest team (or team most likely to win) ranked in the number-one spot and the weakest team in that division is ranked number 16. The brackets are split up accordingly so the tournament's powerhouse teams are evenly distributed within the 64 brackets. The First Four round The First Four refers to the number of matches/brackets played — not number of teams. The First Four includes the eight lowest ranking teams in the men's division that play against each other, and the four losing teams are removed from the tournament. This part of the tournament is also known as “First Four Out” since four of the teams will lose out of the tournament before it even has really begun. The First Four Out was designed to get the 68 men's teams down to 64 so that the number of teams is the same as in the women's divisions. The brackets and dates, therefore, can be the same for both the men and women divisions. This part of the tournament applies only to the men's teams. In the First Round, those 64 teams play against each other to move on to the Second Round. Second round In the Second Round, the remaining 32 teams play in 16 brackets, and the winners of each bracket then move on to the regional semi-finals (Sweet 16 round); the losers again are removed from the tournament. Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds The regional semi-finals, also known as the Sweet Sixteen, is where the final sixteen teams are set up in matches against other teams within their regional divisions. The divisions are broken up into geographical areas and listed as follows: East West South Midwest The winners of the regional semi-finals are then moved to the regional finals where only eight teams remain, known as the Elite Eight. These eight teams play head-to-head to determine the winners, and the remaining four teams from all regions are matched up in the national semi-finals. The Final Four After regional finals, the remaining four teams from all regions are eligible to play in the national semi-finals. These remaining four teams are known as “The Final Four,” and this is where many people start watching the tournament. The final four teams then play, and the two winners from the national semi-finals move on to the national finals. Championship game The national finals or championship game is where the final two teams play to determine the winner of the current year's March Madness tournament. The NCAA has changed the format of the game several times in its history, as well as the name. In recent years the name of the tournament has been simply “NCAA Division 1 Tournament,” but the more popular March Madness title will always remain.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2022

Being a basketball coach involves always being prepared for practice and running a practice that’s fun and productive. An effective coach keeps players motivated and builds both individual and team confidence. Know what to say and how to say it before, during, and after a basketball game to impact the performance and morale of your players.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-21-2022

Basketball is the most popular participatory sport in the United States — even more popular than Angry Birds. So whether you're a basketball player or a basketball fan, you're in with the popular crowd. The sport combines physical prowess, intelligence, grace, and coordination. Although more than 46 million Americans play basketball, the game is flexible enough to enable each player to develop individual style. It all comes down to one basic idea: Throw the ball through the hoop!

Article / Updated 12-23-2019

The game of basketball includes a five-player team, which consist of the following basketball positions: two guards, two forwards, and one center scores points. The team gains point by getting the ball through the hoop. Each basketball player has a specific position with set responsibilities and each call for different physical requirements and skills. Point Guard: Usually the shortest player on the team. Should be the team's best passer and ball handler; not primarily a shooter. Traditional role is to push the ball upcourt and start the offensive wheels turning. Should either take the ball to the basket or remain near the top of the key, ready to retreat on defense. Best and brightest: Derrick Rose. Shooting Guard: Generally taller than a point guard but shorter than a small forward. Not necessarily a great ball handler, but normally the team's best perimeter shooter. A good shooting guard (or two guard) comes off screens set by taller teammates prepared to shoot, pass, or drive to the basket. Also tries to grab rebounds on offense. Best and brightest: Dwyane Wade. Small Forward: The all-purpose player on offense: aggressive and strong; tall enough to mix it up inside but agile enough to handle the ball and shoot well. Must be able to score both from the perimeter and from inside of the basketball court. Best and brightest: Carmelo Anthony. Power Forward: Has muscles or at least a little bulk. Must be able to catch passes and hit shots near the basket. A good, rugged rebounder, but athletic enough to move with some quickness around the lane on offense and defense. Expected to score when given the opportunity on the baseline, much like a center, but usually has a range of up to 15 feet all around the basket. Best and brightest: Pau Gasol. Center: Usually the tallest player on the team. Should be able to post up offensively — that is, receive the ball with his back to the basket and use pivot moves to hit a variety of short jumpers, hook shots, and dunks. Also must know how to find the open player in the paint and grab offensive rebounds. Best and brightest: Dwight Howard.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

A ball hog — a player who hangs onto the ball for extended periods of time and always looks to shoot rather than pass — creates real problems for the entire team. For instance, a ball hog ignores open teammates who have worked to get into position to score, which undermines team morale and kills your sense of unity. As a basketball coach, you have to find a way to deal with this. If you have a ball hog on your team, you may get frustrated and not know what to do. Here are a couple ways a player can earn the unwanted ball-hog label and actions you can take to help him ditch it: He's unaware: Perhaps the youngster isn't aware that he's hanging onto the ball too much. He watches older players who score a lot and wants to emulate them. Maybe he's new to basketball or hasn't been involved in any type of team setting before, and he needs to get accustomed to how sharing the ball makes for a stronger and more effective unit. Go with drills that emphasize passing to help your players break their habit of dribbling and shooting every time down the floor. You can even hold no-dribble scrimmages, where players can only pass and shoot the ball. He receives mixed instructions: Perhaps the child receives conflicting instructions from his dad or mom at home. A parent may be telling the child that he's the team's best shooter and that he needs to take more shots. How can you tell? If the child seems to be doing everything differently than how you're instructing the team, do some investigating. Ask the child why he isn't listening to your instructions. Perhaps he didn't understand what you were saying. If he confesses that he's receiving conflicting instructions, that plops the youngster in confusing territory and forces you to step in. Talk to the child about his responsibility to be a team player and to listen to your instructions, and reinforce to the player's parents that they need to support what you're trying to teach the kids. If you have a ball hog on your team, take a closer look at your practices, because they may actually be causing some of the problems. During your drills, double check to make sure that you aren't allowing a player to dribble the ball for extended periods of time or to take the majority of the shots. If you notice inequity in your practices, resort to specific types of drills or scrimmages that eliminate opportunities for ball hogs to flourish.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

As a youth basketball coach, teaching kids the importance of good sportsmanship can be challenging. What makes teaching (and modeling) good sportsmanship particularly tricky is that youngsters are bombarded with images of older basketball players trash talking, showboating, and disrespecting opponents and officials. However, keep in mind that you're fighting the good fight: Good sportsmanship is one of the healthiest ideals you can instill in your players. Incorporate the following suggestions into your coaching philosophy. They can help make your team one of the most liked and respected teams in the league (and your players the envy of all parents in the stands): Talk about sportsmanship outside your team. While your players are going through warm-ups, you can discuss a game they watched on television and ask whether they saw any displays of good sportsmanship. Praising these displays and subtly reinforcing their importance goes a long way toward instilling the right qualities in your players. Set a positive tone on game day by shaking hands with the opposing coach. The players, fans, and opposing coaches will notice your gesture of sportsmanship. Plus, it will remind everyone that basketball is just a game and you're all there for the kids. Always be a model of good sportsmanship. Don't yell at officials or question their judgment. If you aren't a model of good sportsmanship, you can't expect your players (or their parents) to be good sports. Your players will take their cue from you, so if you rant and rave about a call, expect your players to show disrespect toward the refs as well. Shake hands after the game. Regardless of the outcome, have your players line up and shake hands with the opposing team and its coaches. If your team won, your players should tell their opponents that they played a good game, and if your squad lost, your players should congratulate the opponents on their victory. Another classy move is for your players to shake the officials' hands following the contest. Recognize good sports during your post-game talk. Perhaps one of your players went out of his way after the game to congratulate an opponent who played a strong game. Recognizing such displays reinforces to your players that how they behave during and after games really does matter to you and to all the spectators.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Playing basketball requires a broad range of skills. As a coach, being able to assess a youngster's strengths and weaknesses is crucial for determining where he best fits in your lineup. Your early practices should offer a peek at a player's ability in specific areas. Scrimmages or games involving just a handful of players and drills are ideal ways to gain a real sense of a child's strengths and weaknesses in certain basketball skills. After you collect all this information on your players, you can take advantage of it by developing practice plans that focus on improving their weaker areas while enhancing their stronger skills. Footwork Good footwork pays off on the dance floor and the basketball court. Players who stand or move flat-footed tend to spend more time watching the action, which really affects their productivity (and fun) at both ends of the floor. Players who constantly move their feet create additional scoring opportunities through screens, cuts to the basket, defensive stops, and so on. During practice (and games), keep an eye on a player's feet, because footwork dictates how well he'll perform. Watch to see if a player stays on the balls of his feet when he's dribbling and if he shuffles his feet while defending. Competitiveness At the younger levels of play, how competitive a child is shouldn't be a focus. If they stay involved in the game long enough, most kids will gradually become more competitive. In the meantime, stick to helping them have fun, learn the game, and develop skills. At the more advanced levels of play, you should monitor how your players respond to challenges and difficult situations. If certain players are easily rattled, focus on building their confidence and stoking their competitive juices so they'll always put forth their best effort. To gauge competitiveness during practice, you can challenge the kids. See how many baskets they can make in a row. Or insert yourself into a drill and challenge the players to score on you or box you out for a rebound. Kids love going against their coaches, and if they can perform well against you, it can buoy their confidence. Body language and demeanor A basketball player's body language during practice and games speaks volumes. If his head droops or his shoulders sag, you can deduce that he probably isn't thrilled with his or the team's performance. Pay particular attention to the following: Is he too hard on himself when his shots aren't falling? Does he get frustrated when his teammates make mistakes? Does he embrace your suggestions, or is he easily offended by feedback? You can improve a player's mental approach to the game by imploring him to play each possession as though it's the first of the game. Players who have the ability to push aside prior possessions — whether they involved missed shots or turnovers — and focus entirely on the present put themselves in better position to achieve more success. Teamwork Youngsters who fire up and encourage their teammates, during practice and in games, and play an unselfish style of basketball are really valuable. Even when it isn't their turn to be on the floor or participate in a drill, or the scoreboard isn't in your favor, your players can be inspiring by encouraging teammates and applauding their hustle. On the flip side, kids who sulk or don't pay attention to the action on the court or your instructions during practice can damage team chemistry and kill morale.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

As a basketball coach, what you say to your players before tip-off — and how you say it — can have a big impact on how they play the game. Here are some ideas about what to say to your team before a game to set the tone for a fun day of basketball. One of the worst discussions you can have with kids before a game is talking about the opponent's win-loss record. Concentrating on records sends the unwanted signal that winning is the most important thing to you. Instead, steer conversations to other areas, such as those below. Being nervous is a good thing Let your players know that having sweaty palms or butterflies in their stomachs is perfectly normal and actually preferred. Nervousness is a good sign that they care about the game. Tell them that even pros get nervous before games! Remind the kids to take a few deep breaths to calm their nerves and relax and simply focus on performing the basic skills well. Win or lose, I support you No matter whether a child scores in double digits and your team wins or he fails to sink a basket and you lose, he should always receive the same treatment from you: support and positive reinforcement. And the child should know before the game that he'll get this. Mistakes are okay If you let your players know that even the best basketball players make mistakes and that you accept mistakes as part of the game, you'll enable them to take to the court more relaxed. Chances are they'll play more effectively because they won't fear failure or your reaction to it. Be a good sport Remind your players to hold their heads up and be respectful whether the team wins or loses, or whether they have a great day or a sub-par day. Also, let your youngsters know that you want them to show respect toward opponents and officials. During one of my games, I . . . By sharing some stories from your childhood basketball experiences, you help your kids remain calm, relaxed, and in the right frame of mind before the game begins. If you can laugh at yourself and joke about what happened during your playing days, a child can laugh with you and be less likely to get upset when she makes a turnover. Talk about your pals on the other team Ask your players if they know any of the kids on the other team. Doing so shifts the focus away from winning and losing and puts their minds on talking about their friends. If you're coaching an advanced-level team, you can also ask about the opponent's tendencies (if they tend to drive to the basket or prefer to loft jump shots, for example). If you played the team earlier in the season, discuss the positive aspects of your team's play that day to help put them in a positive frame of mind. I'm excited to watch you in action Kids want to play well to make their parents and coaches proud, so when you tell them that you have confidence in them and are eager to watch them perform, you give their self-esteem a big boost.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

As with any sport, basketball has its own terms and phrases to describe game moves, plays, positions, and more. Knowing some basketball lingo will help you to enjoy the game more while you play or watch from courtside seats — or your sofa. alley-oop: A designed play in which a player lobs the ball toward the basket and a teammate jumps up, catches the ball in midair, and usually dunks it. block out (or box out): Using the body to block or shield an opponent in order to gain better position to grab a rebound. boards: Rebounds. brick or clank: An especially ugly, misfired shot that clanks hard off the rim. bucket: A good multipurpose word that can mean the basket itself or a made basket; also can be used as an adjective for an especially good shooter, as in "That guy is bucket." bury a jumper: To make an especially pretty jump shot. cager: A basketball player. charity stripe: The free throw line. deuce: A made field goal, worth two points. downtown: A long way from the basket, as in, "He just hit that shot from downtown!" hack: A foul. hole: a basket, as in "take it to the hole." hoop: a basket. hops: Jumping ability. H-O-R-S-E: A popular game in which one player makes a shot and his opponent must make the identical shot. Failure to do so results in gaining a letter (starting with "h"). in the paint: In the free throw lane. nothin' but net: A shot that goes through the rim without touching the rim or any other part of the basket. rock: Slang for ball, as in "shoot the rock" or "pass the rock." T: technical foul. take it to the hole: To drive toward the basket in an attempt to score. trey: A made field goal from behind the three-point arc, worth three points. 21: A game in which any number of players can play. The player who has the ball attempts to score while all other players defend. A made shot results in two points, plus you are given up to three consecutive free throws, each worth one point. walk: To travel.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

When people talk about the basketball hall of fame, they're likely referring to the granddaddy of 'em all, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. But other halls of fame dedicated to this sport are no less enjoyable to visit. First, take a virtual pilgrimage to Springfield: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Where can a basketball fan find nearly 300 hall-of-fame inductees and more than 40,000 square feet of basketball history? Look no further than the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Located on the picturesque banks of the Connecticut River, the museum is a fitting shrine to the game Dr. James Naismith invented more than a century ago. The landmark structure is one of the world's most distinctive monuments punctuating the Springfield skyline and stirring the spirits of basketball fans everywhere. Hundreds of interactive exhibits share the spotlight with skills challenges, live clinics, and shooting contests. And of course there is enough basketball history to impress the world's most avid sports fans. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2009. National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), located at the Sprint Center. The hall is meant as a complement to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with a focus strictly on those who have contributed greatly to college basketball. Women's Basketball Hall of Fame The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame opened in June 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is the only facility of its kind dedicated to all levels of women's basketball. The Hall is filled with multimedia presentations and numerous basketball artifacts, photographs, scrapbooks, medals, trophies, and old uniforms that bring the history of women's basketball to life. In the State Farm Tip-Off theater, you will see Hoopful of Hope, a 17-minute video production covering the history of our game. The production shows some of the all-time greats from the sport including players, coaches, and teams from AAU, collegiate, and professional organizations.