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It is a looking glass for human hope, excellence and positive social change. The excitement and tradition of "March Madness" as we know it today has been shaped by many significant events in NCAA tournament history: The first NCAA men’s basketball tournament was held in 1939 with the first championship game held at Northwestern on March 27, 1939. Only eight teams competed in two regions. Oregon defeated Ohio State in the championship, and the West region held a third-place game.
Although the NCAA tournament now determines the national champion, that was not always the case. Until the 1950's, the NIT was considered a more prestigious tournament than the NCAA, and teams often chose to enter the NIT and bypass the NCAA tourney. George Mikan's DePaul team traditionally entered the NIT, while Bob Kurland's Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) won two NCAA titles. Several schools entered both tournaments. One such team, City College of New York (CCNY) led by Irwin Dambrot, won both in 1950. Ironically, CCNY defeated Bradley University in the finals of both tournaments. Another school, Utah in 1944, entered the NIT, lost in the first round, and then went on to win the NCAA title. In 1941, the East region added a third-place game into the schedule, and in 1946, a national third-place game was held for the first time; the game would be a fixture until 1980. In 1951, the tournament expanded to 16 teams, and in 1952, Seattle was the site of the first true "Final Four," with both semifinal games and the championship game in one city. It was 1956 when the tournament was divided into four regions. Some of the most astounding and telling events in college basketball were to follow: North Carolina defeated Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas 54-53 in three overtimes to win the title in 1957. Reflecting the race and civil rights issues of the time, Loyola (Illinois) was matched up with Mississippi State in a 1963 men’s basketball tournament regional semifinal. Mississippi State, an all-white team, fled the town in the middle of the night despite protests from the governor and state police of Mississippi to play a Loyola team that features four black starters. Mississippi State overcame an unwritten Mississippi rule against playing integrated teams with a cloak-and-dagger flight to the North just one step ahead of a court injunction. Triumphantly, Loyola beat Mississippi State and went on to win the title. In 1966, Texas Western (now UTEP), with an all-black starting five, defeats an all-white Kentucky team to win the national title.
In 1973, with the championship game held on Monday night for the first time, UCLA behind Bill Walton's 44 points on 21 of 22 shooting, won its seventh straight championship, defeating Memphis State. NC State, led by David Thompson, ends UCLA's title run in 1974, defeating the Bruins in the national semifinals in double overtime.
The following year, the NCAA tournament expanded to 32 teams, and then allowed more than one school from each conference to participate. Prior to this ruling, the restriction prevented several great teams from competing in the tournament, including the 1974 Maryland team. They finished the season nationally ranked #4, yet lost the ACC Conference final game to top-ranked NC State prior to the start of the tournament. In 1976, Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosier squad completed an undefeated season with a victory over Michigan in the championship game. The Hoosiers are the last team to go undefeated and win the title.
The tournament expanded to 40 teams in 1979, and teams were seeded for the first time. "Magic" Earvin Johnson leads Michigan State over Larry Bird and Indiana State to win the national championship. The game drew the attention of millions throughout the country; its 24.1 TV rating remains the highest ever for a college basketball game and is still considered one of the greatest match-ups in NCAA Tournament history.
Expansion followed in 1980 to 48 teams, and then in 1983, to 53 teams. In what many believe is the greatest Cinderella story in college basketball, North Carolina State’s Lorenzo Charles dunks the ball as time expires in the 1983 championship game to lead the Wolfpack to a 54-52 win over heavily favored Akeem Olajuwon and Houston. Perhaps no one figure in college basketball history more personified the spirit of March Madness than Coach Jim Valvano. His underdog North Carolina State Wolfpack did what many consider a miracle by making an incredible run through the 1983 Tournament. In 1985 the tournament expanded to 64 teams. A Villanova Wildcat team shot a 22 for 28 field goal percentage to defeat Patrick Ewing and defending champion Georgetown in the championship game. Villanova remains the lowest seed (#8) to win the championship. In 1991, Duke upset undefeated UNLV in the semifinals and went on to win the national championship. In 1997, Arizona, led by Mike Bibby, Jason Terry and Miles Simon, becomes the first school to defeat three #1 seeds en route to the national championship, winning against Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky.
The NCAA Tournament’s popularity has grown to rival that of the World Series, the Olympics and the Super Bowl. CBS Sports in 1999 negotiated an 11-year, $6 billion agreement for television, radio, Internet, corporate marketing, licensing, publishing, home video and Hoop City rights for the Division I men’s basketball championship.
In 2002, the NCAA tournament committee developed a "pod" system for the first and second rounds. In that year’s tournament, Maryland became the first school to defeat five former national champions on their way to win their first title. Connecticut, behind center Emeka Okafor, won its second title in six seasons. Adversity, tragedy, and ultimate triumph; the downtrodden and beleaguered emerge through the journey as champions. Yes, this Tournament has it all.
Basketball Coaching Tips - 8 Tips To Planning A Successful Practice
The Basketball Coaching Tips below are designed to help coaches plan their practices more effectively. These eight tips are very simple and straightforward - yet they can have a tremendous impact on how well a coach plans their practice.
By following these 8 basketball coaching tips, coaches are setting themselves and their players up for success, during practices and games!
1. Coaches should always plan their practices ahead of time. This makes it easier for the coach to stick to establish and stick to their game plan.
2. Coaches should use the drills they are most familiar and comfortable with. They should be able to demonstrate these drills as well.
3. When running drills, players should always go at "game speed". By doing these two things, players will become more comfortable with the drills and skills being practiced. This translates into being able to perform them instinctively during game situations.
4. Coaches should only add new drills when the players have mastered the old ones. Players don't need to be overwhelmed with too many drills, this tends to confuse them.
5. Coaches should always teach and stress the importance of teamwork. The players must understand that the team comes before the individual. This one concept alone will help players become more well-rounded at every aspect of their game.
6. Coaches should discuss the team rules, regulations and policies with the players. When a coach is upfront about the rules and consequences for breaking them, players are more likely to respect them.
7. Coaches should always be enthusiastic on and off the court. Players usually feed off of their coach's attitude and personality. If a coach is constantly enthusiastic about the game, this will have a tremendous impact on the players’ attitude and outlook as well.
8. Coaches must always remember that the players they are coaching are far more important than the game they are coaching. Coaches should put the best interest of their players before everything else.
Although the NCAA tournament now determines the national champion, that was not always the case. Until the 1950's, the NIT was considered a more prestigious tournament than the NCAA, and teams often chose to enter the NIT and bypass the NCAA tourney. George Mikan's DePaul team traditionally entered the NIT, while Bob Kurland's Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) won two NCAA titles. Several schools entered both tournaments. One such team, City College of New York (CCNY) led by Irwin Dambrot, won both in 1950. Ironically, CCNY defeated Bradley University in the finals of both tournaments. Another school, Utah in 1944, entered the NIT, lost in the first round, and then went on to win the NCAA title. In 1941, the East region added a third-place game into the schedule, and in 1946, a national third-place game was held for the first time; the game would be a fixture until 1980. In 1951, the tournament expanded to 16 teams, and in 1952, Seattle was the site of the first true "Final Four," with both semifinal games and the championship game in one city. It was 1956 when the tournament was divided into four regions. Some of the most astounding and telling events in college basketball were to follow: North Carolina defeated Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas 54-53 in three overtimes to win the title in 1957. Reflecting the race and civil rights issues of the time, Loyola (Illinois) was matched up with Mississippi State in a 1963 men’s basketball tournament regional semifinal. Mississippi State, an all-white team, fled the town in the middle of the night despite protests from the governor and state police of Mississippi to play a Loyola team that features four black starters. Mississippi State overcame an unwritten Mississippi rule against playing integrated teams with a cloak-and-dagger flight to the North just one step ahead of a court injunction. Triumphantly, Loyola beat Mississippi State and went on to win the title. In 1966, Texas Western (now UTEP), with an all-black starting five, defeats an all-white Kentucky team to win the national title.
In 1973, with the championship game held on Monday night for the first time, UCLA behind Bill Walton's 44 points on 21 of 22 shooting, won its seventh straight championship, defeating Memphis State. NC State, led by David Thompson, ends UCLA's title run in 1974, defeating the Bruins in the national semifinals in double overtime.
The following year, the NCAA tournament expanded to 32 teams, and then allowed more than one school from each conference to participate. Prior to this ruling, the restriction prevented several great teams from competing in the tournament, including the 1974 Maryland team. They finished the season nationally ranked #4, yet lost the ACC Conference final game to top-ranked NC State prior to the start of the tournament. In 1976, Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosier squad completed an undefeated season with a victory over Michigan in the championship game. The Hoosiers are the last team to go undefeated and win the title.
The tournament expanded to 40 teams in 1979, and teams were seeded for the first time. "Magic" Earvin Johnson leads Michigan State over Larry Bird and Indiana State to win the national championship. The game drew the attention of millions throughout the country; its 24.1 TV rating remains the highest ever for a college basketball game and is still considered one of the greatest match-ups in NCAA Tournament history.
Expansion followed in 1980 to 48 teams, and then in 1983, to 53 teams. In what many believe is the greatest Cinderella story in college basketball, North Carolina State’s Lorenzo Charles dunks the ball as time expires in the 1983 championship game to lead the Wolfpack to a 54-52 win over heavily favored Akeem Olajuwon and Houston. Perhaps no one figure in college basketball history more personified the spirit of March Madness than Coach Jim Valvano. His underdog North Carolina State Wolfpack did what many consider a miracle by making an incredible run through the 1983 Tournament. In 1985 the tournament expanded to 64 teams. A Villanova Wildcat team shot a 22 for 28 field goal percentage to defeat Patrick Ewing and defending champion Georgetown in the championship game. Villanova remains the lowest seed (#8) to win the championship. In 1991, Duke upset undefeated UNLV in the semifinals and went on to win the national championship. In 1997, Arizona, led by Mike Bibby, Jason Terry and Miles Simon, becomes the first school to defeat three #1 seeds en route to the national championship, winning against Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky.
The NCAA Tournament’s popularity has grown to rival that of the World Series, the Olympics and the Super Bowl. CBS Sports in 1999 negotiated an 11-year, $6 billion agreement for television, radio, Internet, corporate marketing, licensing, publishing, home video and Hoop City rights for the Division I men’s basketball championship.
In 2002, the NCAA tournament committee developed a "pod" system for the first and second rounds. In that year’s tournament, Maryland became the first school to defeat five former national champions on their way to win their first title. Connecticut, behind center Emeka Okafor, won its second title in six seasons. Adversity, tragedy, and ultimate triumph; the downtrodden and beleaguered emerge through the journey as champions. Yes, this Tournament has it all.
Basketball Coaching Tips - 8 Tips To Planning A Successful Practice
The Basketball Coaching Tips below are designed to help coaches plan their practices more effectively. These eight tips are very simple and straightforward - yet they can have a tremendous impact on how well a coach plans their practice.
By following these 8 basketball coaching tips, coaches are setting themselves and their players up for success, during practices and games!
1. Coaches should always plan their practices ahead of time. This makes it easier for the coach to stick to establish and stick to their game plan.
2. Coaches should use the drills they are most familiar and comfortable with. They should be able to demonstrate these drills as well.
3. When running drills, players should always go at "game speed". By doing these two things, players will become more comfortable with the drills and skills being practiced. This translates into being able to perform them instinctively during game situations.
4. Coaches should only add new drills when the players have mastered the old ones. Players don't need to be overwhelmed with too many drills, this tends to confuse them.
5. Coaches should always teach and stress the importance of teamwork. The players must understand that the team comes before the individual. This one concept alone will help players become more well-rounded at every aspect of their game.
6. Coaches should discuss the team rules, regulations and policies with the players. When a coach is upfront about the rules and consequences for breaking them, players are more likely to respect them.
7. Coaches should always be enthusiastic on and off the court. Players usually feed off of their coach's attitude and personality. If a coach is constantly enthusiastic about the game, this will have a tremendous impact on the players’ attitude and outlook as well.
8. Coaches must always remember that the players they are coaching are far more important than the game they are coaching. Coaches should put the best interest of their players before everything else.
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