1.
Detroit
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Detroit is the most populous city in the U. S. state of Michigan, the fourth-largest city in the Midwest and the largest city on the United States–Canada border. It is the seat of Wayne County, the most populous county in the state, the municipality of Detroit had a 2015 estimated population of 677,116, making it the 21st-most populous city in the United States. Roughly one-half of Michigans population lives in Metro Detroit alone, the Detroit–Windsor area, a commercial link straddling the Canada–U. S. Border, has a population of about 5.7 million. Detroit is a port on the Detroit River, a strait that connects the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The Detroit Metropolitan Airport is among the most important hubs in the United States, the City of Detroit anchors the second-largest economic region in the Midwest, behind Chicago, and the thirteenth-largest in the United States. Detroit and its neighboring Canadian city Windsor are connected through a tunnel and various bridges, Detroit was founded on July 24,1701 by the French explorer and adventurer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and a party of settlers. During the 19th century, it became an important industrial hub at the center of the Great Lakes region, with expansion of the American automobile industry in the early 20th century, the Detroit area emerged as a significant metropolitan region within the United States. The city became the fourth-largest in the country for a period, in the 1950s and 1960s, suburban expansion continued with construction of a regional freeway system. A great portion of Detroits public transport was abandoned in favour of becoming a city in the post-war period. Due to industrial restructuring and loss of jobs in the auto industry, between 2000 and 2010 the citys population fell by 25 percent, changing its ranking from the nations 10th-largest city to 18th. In 2010, the city had a population of 713,777 and this resulted from suburbanization, corruption, industrial restructuring and the decline of Detroits auto industry. In 2013, the state of Michigan declared an emergency for the city. Detroit has experienced urban decay as its population and jobs have shifted to its suburbs or elsewhere, conservation efforts managed to save many architectural pieces since the 2000s and allowed several large-scale revitalisations. More recently, the population of Downtown Detroit, Midtown Detroit, paleo-Indian people inhabited areas near Detroit as early as 11,000 years ago. In the 17th century, the region was inhabited by Huron, Odawa, Potawatomi, for the next hundred years, virtually no British, colonist, or French action was contemplated without consultation with, or consideration of the Iroquois likely response. When the French and Indian War evicted the Kingdom of France from Canada, the 1798 raids and resultant 1799 decisive Sullivan Expedition reopened the Ohio Country to westward emigration, which began almost immediately, and by 1800 white settlers were pouring westwards. By 1773, the population of Detroit was 1,400, by 1778, its population was up to 2,144 and it was the third-largest city in the Province of Quebec
2.
Sheridan, Indiana
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Sheridan is a town in Adams Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,665 at the 2010 census, the center of population of Indiana is located just northwest of Sheridan. Sheridan is located at 40°8′2″N 86°13′12″W, according to the 2010 census, Sheridan has a total area of 2.144 square miles, of which 2.14 square miles is land and 0.004 square miles is water. Considerable recent development has increased the population of this historic town. The origins of Sheridan, which started out as Millwood, are vague, owing partly to the loss of all the records in 1913 when a disastrous fire destroyed the town hall. No documentation supports the contention that Egbert Higbee started the town in 1860. Higbee, born in Ohio and brought to Adams Township as a child, did, indeed and he had acquired his land in parcels and filed his town plat in April 1866. Only two-and-a-half blocks divided into twenty lots, it was oriented in an east-west direction along the side of the Lafayette-Noblesville state road. Higbee immediately began to sell off lots to enterprising merchants and a few owners. Higbee himself built a mill and laid out additions to his original plat, the initial town orientation was succeeded by one that placed Main Street in a north-south direction. In a few years the hamlet of Millwood applied for a post office and was granted one on January 30,1871. Since there was already an existing post office in a village of the name in Kosciusko County. The town had something of an identity crisis for a few years as people continued to call it Millwood while others used the new name of Sheridan—even in official records. Its location on the road connecting Noblesville and Lafayette was a good site for an agricultural center. By this time other entrepreneurs had laid out additions to Millwood as well, several significant buildings from that early period survive, including the H. J. Thistlethwaite Building, constructed in 1886 to boast an opera house, a lodge room and retail spaces. Industry soon clustered along the railroad toward the end of Main Street. The Monon passed through Sheridan at an angle from northwest to southeast. In no time it was lined with various mills and factories, the buzzing Town of Sheridan incorporated in 1886
3.
New Mexico Lobos men's basketball
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The New Mexico Lobos mens basketball team represents the University of New Mexico, competing in the Mountain West Conference in NCAA Division I. UNM established basketball as a varsity sport in 1899 and began competing with regional colleges after establishing a department in 1920. Lobo basketball first achieved prominence after Bob King was hired as head coach in 1962. King transformed a moribund program into a consistent winner and produced future ABA MVP Mel Daniels, the Lobos won the Western Athletic Conference championship in 1964 and 1968, making frequent appearances in national rankings. The team reached the NIT tournament final in 1964 and received its first bid to the NCAA tournament in 1968, the Lobos became frequent participants in the NCAA tournament during the 1990s and have made fifteen appearances overall, as well as nineteen NIT appearances. They have won the MWC regular season championship and the tournament four times each. The most renowned enduring feature of the Lobo basketball program is its home venue, known as The Pit, the Pit opened in 1966 and the Lobos have been dominant playing there, winning over eighty percent of their games, while regularly placing among national leaders in attendance. The arena has frequently hosted NCAA tournament games, including the 1983 NCAA Final Four that featured one of the most memorable finishes in tournament history, roy Johnson, nicknamed Old Iron Head, was fundamental to the early development of Lobo athletics. Johnson arrived in 1920 after an athletic career at the University of Michigan. The UNM gymnasium at the time was a wooden building where the walls were out-of-bounds markers for basketball games. Basketball was primarily a sport, with occasional games against other schools, including Albuquerque High School. Johnson set about building collegiate-level athletics facilities, performing some of the labor with his own hands. He oversaw construction of Carlisle Gymnasium in 1928 and Zimmerman Field in 1938, during his nearly forty years at UNM, Johnson coached every mens sport the school offered, while teaching physical education. A decorated veteran who served in World Wars I and II and he established regularly scheduled games against regional colleges, and in 1931 UNM joined the Border Conference as a founding member. Johnson coached the UNM basketball team for all but two seasons from 1920-40, from 1924-34, his teams posted a 104–38 record. The Lobos won 165 games with Johnson as head basketball coach, Johnson stepped down as head basketball coach after the 1939-40 season. The position passed to a few different coaches before Woody Clements took over from 1944–51 and 1953–55, the Lobos won the Border Conference in 1944 and 1945, and they appeared in the NAIA post-season tournament in 1947, losing to Hamline University in the first round. From 1951-62, the Lobos competed in the Mountain States Conference, in 1957, while still on faculty, Johnson oversaw construction of the 7, 800-seat arena that bears his name, Johnson Gymnasium
4.
1967 NBA draft
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The 1967 NBA draft was the 21st annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on May 3 and 4,1967 before the 1967–68 season, in this draft,12 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Detroit Pistons won the flip and were awarded the first overall pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Five teams that had the best records in season were not awarded second round draft picks. The draft consisted of 20 rounds comprising 162 players selected, Jimmy Walker from Providence College was selected first overall by the Detroit Pistons. Earl Monroe from Winston-Salem State University, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was drafted second by the Baltimore Bullets, Monroe, fifth pick Walt Frazier and ninth pick Mel Daniels have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. They were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996, Monroe and Frazier both won the NBA championship with the Knicks in 1973. Three seasons earlier in 1970, Frazier was also a member of the Knicks team that won the NBA championship for the first time. Frazier was selected to seven All-NBA Teams, six All-Star Games and seven All-Defensive Teams, while Monroe was selected to one All-NBA Team, Walker and 19th pick Bob Rule are the only other players from this draft who have been selected to an All-Star Game. Daniels, the 9th pick, opted to play in the American Basketball Association with the Minnesota Muskies and he won the ABA Most Valuable Player Award twice and was selected to five All-ABA Teams and seven ABA All-Star Games. He later played one season in the NBA with the New York Nets after the ABA–NBA merger, after his playing career, he became a coach for the Indiana Pacers and served two games as their interim head coach in 1988. Pat Riley, the 7th pick, and Phil Jackson, the 17th pick, Riley won five NBA championships as head coach, four with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s and one with the Miami Heat in 2006. He also won the Coach of the Year Award for a three times, tied with Don Nelson. Jackson won eleven NBA championships, the most in NBA history and he led the Chicago Bulls to win three straight championships twice over separate three year periods, during 1991–1993 and 1996–1998
5.
Sacramento Kings
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The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento. The team play its games at the Golden 1 Center. The Kings are the oldest franchise in the NBA, and one of the oldest continuously operating professional basketball franchises in the nation and they originated in Rochester, New York as the Rochester Seagrams in 1923 and joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the Rochester Royals. They jumped to the Basketball Association of America, forerunner of the NBA, as the Royals, the team was often successful on the court, winning the NBA championship in 1951. However, they found it difficult to turn a profit in the comparatively small market of Rochester. In 1972, the relocated to Kansas City, Missouri. In 1975, the Kings ceased playing home games in Omaha, the team again failed to find success in that market, and moved to Sacramento in 1985. The Royals defected to the NBLs rival, the Basketball Association of America, in 1948. In 1949, as a result of that absorption of the NBL by the BAA, the Royals became members of the newly formed NBA along with the Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers. A year later, the BAA absorbed the remaining NBL teams to become the National Basketball Association, the move to the BAA took away Rochesters profitable exhibition schedule, and placed it in the same Western Division that Minneapolis was in. Of the two best teams in pro basketball, only one of them could play in the finals from 1949 to 1954. Minneapolis, with George Mikan, was almost always a little better at playoff time than the Royals, Harrison knew that the NBA was outgrowing Rochester, and spent most of the 1950s looking for a buyer for his team. The Royals won the NBA title in 1951 by defeating the New York Knicks 4 games to 3 and it is the only NBA championship in the franchises history. However, the title did not translate into profit for the Royals, the roster turned over in 1955, except for Bobby Wanzer, the team moved to the larger Rochester War Memorial. Now a losing team filled with rookies, the Royals still did not turn a profit, meanwhile, the NBA was putting pressure on Harrison to sell or relocate his team to a larger city. With this in mind, the 1956–57 season was the Royals last in Rochester, in April 1957, the Harrison brothers moved the Royals to Cincinnati
6.
Center (basketball)
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The center, also known as the five or the big man, is one of the five positions in a regular basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a deal of strength. The tallest player to ever be drafted in the NBA was the 78 Yasutaka Okayama from Japan, the tallest players to ever play in the NBA, at 77, are centers Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol. Standing at 72, Margo Dydek is the tallest player to have played in the WNBA. The center is considered a component for a successful team. But recently, the NBA has turned into a point guard league, great centers have been the foundation for most of the dynasties in both the NBA and NCAA. In the 1960s, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain further transformed basketball by combining height with a level of athleticism than previous centers. Following the retirement of George Mikan, the rivalry of the two big men came to dominate the NBA, many of the records set by these two players have endured today. Most notably, Chamberlain and Russell hold the top eighteen season averages for rebounds, Bill Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA Championships. He joined the Boston Celtics and helped make them one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history, Russell revolutionized defensive strategy with his shot-blocking, rebounding and physical man-to-man defense. His principal rival, Wilt Chamberlain, listed at 71,275 pounds, Chamberlain played college ball for the Kansas Jayhawks, leading them to the 1957 title game against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Although the Jayhawks lost by one point in overtime, Chamberlain was named the tournaments Most Outstanding Player. He also won seven scoring titles, eleven rebounding titles, and four regular season Most Valuable Player awards, including the distinction, in 1960, stronger than any player of his era, he was usually capable of scoring and rebounding at will. Most notably, Chamberlain is the player in NBA history to average more than 50 points in a season. He also holds the NBAs all-time records for rebounding average, rebounds in a single game, in contrast to the Celtics dynasty of the 1960s, the 1970s were a decade of parity in the NBA, with eight different champions and no back-to-back winners. At the college level, the UCLA Bruins, under Coach John Wooden, built the greatest dynasty in NCAA basketball history, UCLA had already won two consecutive titles in 1964 and 1965 with teams that pressed and emphasized guard play. After not winning in 1966, Woodens teams changed their style when Lew Alcindor became eligible and he led UCLA to three championships-in 1967,68 and 69-while winning the first Naismith College Player of the Year Award. During his college career, the NCAA enacted a ban on dunking primarily because of Alcindors dominant use of the shot
7.
Minnesota Muskies
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The Minnesota Muskies were a member of the American Basketball Association, born with the leagues creation on February 2,1967. L. P. Shields and Fred Jefferson were the owners paying an franchise fee of $30,000. The team then played one season in Minnesota before moving to Miami, the team colors were blue and gold and games were played in the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The ABA first located its league office in Minneapolis and the future looked bright for the Muskies and their first draft pick was talented center Mel Daniels, who would go on to become one of the ABAs most celebrated players. Daniels was also a first round pick of the NBAs Cincinnati Royals. The selection of Daniels paid off for the team as he led the league in field goal attempts, field goals made, the head coach was Jim Pollard, a former teammate of ABA Commissioner George Mikan from their days with the NBAs Minneapolis Lakers. The Muskies would win 50 games in their lone season, early in the leagues first season the Muskies and the Indiana Pacers dueled for first place in the Eastern Division. Although the Muskies pulled away from the Pacers, the Pittsburgh Pipers rallied to win the Eastern Division title by four games. The Muskies would finish the season with a record of 50 wins and 28 losses, in the Eastern Division playoff semifinals, the Muskies split the first four of five games with the Kentucky Colonels and then won the decisive Game Five, 114–108, at home. The Muskies then met the Pipers for the Eastern Division Championship, for their success on the court, the Muskies were a complete bust off the court. They lost an estimated $400,000 in their first and only season and they only averaged 2,800 people per game, but it might have been far less, given that they only sold 100 season tickets. In spite of this, the decided to relocate the franchise to Miami on May 24,1968 for the 1968–69 ABA season. Prior to the start of season, the team was forced to sell Daniels to the Indiana Pacers for cash to pay off accumulated debts. However, Minnesota was not left without an ABA team as league champion Pipers ironically relocated to Minneapolis to play as the Minnesota Pipers for the 1968–69 ABA season, the franchise would move back to Pittsburgh after one season in Minnesota. The Minnesota Timberwolves wore Muskies uniforms for 6 games during the 2011–12 NBA season as part of the NBAs Hardwood Classics
8.
Indiana Pacers
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The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the leagues Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first established in 1967 as a member of the American Basketball Association and they play their home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The team is named after Indianas history with the Indianapolis 500s pace cars, the Pacers have won three championships, all in the ABA. The Pacers were Eastern Conference champions in 2000, the team has won nine division titles. Five Hall of Fame players – Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Alex English, Mel Daniels, in early 1967, a group of six investors pooled their resources to purchase a franchise in the proposed American Basketball Association. For their first seven years, they played in the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum, in 1974, they moved to the plush new Market Square Arena in downtown Indianapolis, where they played for 25 years. Early in the Pacers second season, former Indiana Hoosiers standout Bob Slick Leonard became the head coach. Leonard quickly turned the Pacers into a juggernaut and his teams were buoyed by the great play of superstars such as Mel Daniels, George McGinnis, Bob Netolicky, Rick Mount and Roger Brown. The Pacers were – and ended – as the most successful team in ABA history, in all, they appeared in the ABA Finals five times in the leagues nine-year history, a feat that was never bettered by any other ABA franchise. The Pacers were one of four ABA teams that joined the NBA in the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, for the 1976–77 season the Pacers were joined in the merged league by the Denver Nuggets, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs. The league charged a $3.2 million entry fee for each former ABA team, as a result of the merger, the four teams dealt with financial troubles. Additionally, the Pacers had some financial troubles which dated back to their days in the ABA. The new NBA teams also were barred from sharing in national TV revenues for four years, the Pacers finished their inaugural NBA season with a record of 36–46. Billy Knight and Don Buse represented Indiana in the NBA All-Star Game, however, this was one of the few bright spots of the Pacers first 13 years in the NBA. During this time, they had only three non-losing seasons and only two playoff appearances, a lack of continuity became the norm for most of the next decade, as they traded away Knight and Buse before the 1977–78 season even started. They acquired Adrian Dantley in exchange for Knight, but Dantley was traded in December, while the Pacers second-leading scorer, the early Pacers came out on the short end of two of the most one-sided trades in NBA history. In 1980, they traded Alex English to the Nuggets in order to reacquire former ABA star George McGinnis, McGinnis was long past his prime, and contributed very little during his two-year return
9.
Brooklyn Nets
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The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association as a club of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its games at Barclays Center. They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City, the other are the New York Knicks, the team was established in 1967 as a charter franchise of the NBAs rival league, the American Basketball Association. They played in New Jersey as the New Jersey Americans during their first season, before moving to Long Island in 1968, during this time, the Nets won two ABA championships. In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA, and the Nets were absorbed into the NBA along with three other ABA teams, in 1977, the team returned to New Jersey and played as the New Jersey Nets from 1977 to 2012. During this time, the Nets won two consecutive Eastern Conference championships, but failed to win a league title, in the summer of 2012, the team moved to Barclays Center, and took its current geographic name. The Brooklyn Nets were founded in 1967 and initially played in Teaneck, New Jersey, in its early years, the team led a nomadic existence, moving to Long Island in 1968 and playing in various arenas there as the New York Nets. Led by Hall of Famer Julius Dr. J Erving, the Nets won two ABA championships in New York before becoming one of four ABA teams to be admitted into the NBA as part of the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. The team then moved back to New Jersey in 1977 and became the New Jersey Nets, the Boston Celtics were once rivals of the Nets during the early 2000s because of their respective locations and their burgeoning stars. The Nets were led by Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, while the Celtics were experiencing newfound success behind Paul Pierce, the rivalry began to heat up in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals, which was preceded by trash-talking from the Celtics who claimed Martin was a fake tough guy. Things progressed as the series started, and on-court tensions seemed to spill into the stands, celtic fans berated Kidd and his family with chants of Wife Beater. in response to Kidds 2001 domestic abuse charge. When the series returned to New Jersey, Nets fans responded, referring to a night club incident in 2000 in which Pierce was stabbed 11 times. When asked about the fan barbs being traded, Kenyon Martin stated, Our fans hate them, rondo was suspended for two games in the aftermath, while Wallace and Kevin Garnett were fined. The story was revisited on December 25, when Wallace grabbed Garnetts shorts and this move was billed as a merger of the two Atlantic Division teams. Celtics announcer Sean Grande said Its almost as if you found a home for these guys. You couldnt have found a better place and these guys will be in the New York market, theyll be on a competitive team, theyll stay on national TV. Its funny, because the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so with Celtics fans feeling the way they do about the Heat, feeling the way they do about the Knicks, the Nets are going to become almost the second team now
10.
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
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The Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I mens basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference, the team last played in the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament in 2011. The Sycamores first season was 1896, making them the oldest basketball team in the NCAA along with Bucknell, Minnesota and Washington, however, the Sycamores boast 2 College Players of the Year,14 All-Americans,381, 000-point scorers and 1, 460+ victories. Their victory count places them in the Top 70 of all NCAA Division I programs, in addition, the Sycamores have 26 Post-Season Appearances with 5 National Championship Appearances. Seven Sycamores were members of the 1951 Pan-American Games Gold Medal-winning team, the Sycamores greatest season was 1978–79, when star Larry Bird led an undefeated team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. However, it lost the title game versus the Magic Johnson-led Michigan State team. This is the deepest run by a participant in the Division I tournament. They would not have another postseason appearance until 2000, the Sycamores were led by All-Americans, Duane Klueh, Dick Atha and 61 point guard Lenny Rzeszewski. Curtis and well-known college coaches such as Bob King, Royce Waltman, Tates Locke, the Indiana State Sycamores mens basketball team currently play their home games at Hulman Center and are coached by Greg Lansing. The Sycamores have appeared in four NCAA Division I Tournaments, the Sycamores have appeared in four National Invitation Tournaments. The Sycamores appeared in one College Basketball Invitational, the Sycamores appeared in one CollegeInsider. com Tournament. The Sycamores have appeared in three NCAA Division II Basketball Tournaments, the Sycamores have appeared in the NAIA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament 12 times. They reached the NAIA Final Four five times, the Sycamores combined NAIA Tournament record is 25–12. Indiana State is the team to finish as the National Runner-Up in the NAIA. The winning team would earn the right to name five players to represent the United States in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, the first Games to feature the American sport of basketball. By earning the bid, the Sycamores joined a group of college teams hand-picked by the Amateur Athletic Union. The Olympic team members were selected from the best AAU teams, the Sycamores earned a bid and advanced to the district finals and were pitted against Coach Ray Meyers DePaul Blue Demons, at Chicago Stadium, DePauls home court. Despite vaulting to a 10–0 lead, maintaining a 16–10 halftime advantage and outscoring the hosts from the field, Marks’ cagers lost on a shot in the waning moments of the game
11.
Western Athletic Conference
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The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference formed on July 27,1962 and affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The WAC thus became the first Division I conference to drop football since the Big West in 2000, the WAC then added mens soccer and became one of the NCAAs eleven Division I non-football conferences. The following institutions are the members of the WAC for the 2016–17 academic year. Notes With the elimination of football as a WAC-sponsored sport, New Mexico States football program has joined the Sun Belt as an associate member, in July 2015, UTPA merged with the University of Texas at Brownsville to create the new University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The University of Texas System stated in July 2014 that the UTPA athletics program will be converted into the program at UTRGV. On November 5,2014, UTRGVs new nickname of Vaqueros was announced, the founding date for UTRGV listed in this table reflects that of Edinburg College, the institution that eventually became UTPA. According to U. S. News & World Report, RNP means a ranking was calculated, unranked means not enough information was provided to make a calculation. Chicago States continued membership is problematic, considering the schools current strained financial situation and the needs of the athletic program, in April 2016, the University Budget Committee recommended that the Athletic Department. Study the benefits of being Division I or another division, championships title totals are through Spring 2016. The following 11 schools field programs in the WAC for sports not sponsored by their primary conferences. Notes Four schools became members in mens soccer in July 2013, the WAC announced on January 9,2013 that it would reinstate the sport. Because the conference dropped football, it was necessary to add a new mens team sport to maintain its Division I status, three of these schools have past WAC connections—former full members Air Force, UNLV and San Jose State. After the WAC announced it would add mens soccer, the conference gained an eighth soccer school for the 2013 season when UMKC, which already sponsored the sport, joined. In addition, Utah Valley added the sport for 2014, UT-Pan American added it for 2015, and Chicago State is slated to add it for 2016. Four schools became members in mens swimming and diving in July 2013, the WAC announced on May 16,2013 that it would reinstate the sport. Northern Colorado joined the WAC for baseball for the 2014 season, north Dakota also joined the WAC for baseball in the 2014 season, but dropped the sport after the 2016 season. Sacramento State was formerly a member of the WAC in baseball from 1992–93 to 1995–96. Championships title totals are through Fall 2014, north Dakota will leave the WAC entirely in July 2017 after dropping its remaining WAC sports of mens and womens swimming & diving
12.
Rebound (basketball)
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In basketball, a rebound, colloquially referred to as a board, is a statistic awarded to a player who retrieves the ball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds are also given to a player who tips in a shot on his teams offensive end. Rebounds in basketball are a part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made. A rebound can be grabbed by either a player or a defensive player. The majority of rebounds are defensive because the team on defense tends to be in position to recover missed shots. Offensive rebounds give the team another opportunity to score whether right away or by resetting the offense. A block is not considered a rebound, a ball does not need to actually rebound off the rim or backboard for a rebound to be credited. Rebounds are credited after any missed shot, including air balls, if a player takes a shot and misses and the ball bounces on the ground before someone picks it up, then the person who picks up the ball is credited for a rebound. Rebounds are credited to the first player that gains possession of the ball or to the player that successfully deflects the ball into the basket for a score. A rebound is credited to a team when it gains possession of the ball after any missed shot that is not cleared by a single player, great rebounders tend to be tall and strong. Because height is so important, most rebounds are made by centers and power forwards, the lack of height can sometimes be compensated by the strength to box out taller players away from the ball to capture the rebound. For example, Charles Barkley once led the league in rebounding despite usually being much shorter than his counterparts, also, some shorter guards can be excellent rebounders as well such as point guard Jason Kidd who led the New Jersey Nets in rebounding for several years. Great rebounders must also have a sense of timing and positioning. Great leaping ability is an important asset, but not absolutely necessary, players such as Larry Bird and Moses Malone were excellent rebounders, but were never known for their leaping ability. Bird has stated, Most rebounds are taken below the rim, the action can also be called blocking out. A team can be boxed out by players using this technique to stop the other team from rebounding. Because fighting for a rebound can be physical, rebounding is often regarded as grunt work or a hustle play. Overly aggressive boxing out or preventing being boxed out can lead to personal fouls, statistics of a players rebounds per game or rebounding average measure a players rebounding effectiveness by dividing the number of rebounds by the number of games played
13.
Basketball
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Basketball is a non-contact team sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of five players each. The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high that is mounted to a backboard at each end of the court. The game was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket being defended by the opposition team during regular play. A field goal scores three points for the team if the player shoots from behind the three-point line. A team can also score via free throws, which are worth one point, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time is mandated when the score is tied at the end of regulation. The ball can be advanced on the court by passing it to a teammate and it is a violation to lift, or drag, ones pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling. The game has many techniques for displaying skill—ball-handling, shooting, passing, dribbling, dunking, shot-blocking. The point guard directs the on court action of the team, implementing the coachs game plan, Basketball is one of the worlds most popular and widely viewed sports. Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague, the FIBA Basketball World Cup attracts the top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for teams, like EuroBasket. The FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup features the top womens basketball teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA, whereas the EuroLeague Women has been dominated by teams from the Russian Womens Basketball Premier League, in early December 1891, Canadian Dr. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied, after rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums, he wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto a 10-foot elevated track. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball and these laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable. Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith, dribbling was not part of the original game except for the bounce pass to teammates. Passing the ball was the means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the shape of early balls. Dribbling only became a part of the game around the 1950s
14.
National Basketball Association
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The National Basketball Association is the major mens professional basketball league in North America, and is widely considered to be the premier mens professional basketball league in the world. It has 30 teams, and is a member of USA Basketball. The NBA is one of the four professional sports leagues in the United States. NBA players are the worlds best paid athletes by average annual salary per player, the league was founded in New York City on June 6,1946, as the Basketball Association of America. The league adopted the name National Basketball Association on August 3,1949, the leagues several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, the Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On November 1,1946, in Toronto, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, the first basket was made by Ossie Schectman of the Knickerbockers. During its early years, the quality of play in the BAA was not significantly better than in competing leagues or among leading independent clubs such as the Harlem Globetrotters. For instance, the 1948 ABL finalist Baltimore Bullets moved to the BAA and won that leagues 1948 title, Following the 1948–49 season, the BAA took in the remainder of the NBL, Syracuse, Anderson, Tri-Cities, Sheboygan, Denver, and Waterloo. The new league had seventeen franchises located in a mix of large and small cities, as well as arenas and smaller gymnasiums. The process of contraction saw the leagues smaller-city franchises move to larger cities, the Hawks shifted from the Tri-Cities to Milwaukee in 1951, and then to St. Louis in 1955. The Rochester Royals moved from Rochester, New York, to Cincinnati in 1957, japanese-American Wataru Misaka broke the NBA color barrier in the 1947–48 season when he played for the New York Knicks. He remained the only player in league history prior to the first African-American, Harold Hunter. During this period, the Minneapolis Lakers, led by center George Mikan, won five NBA Championships, to encourage shooting and discourage stalling, the league introduced the 24-second shot clock in 1954. If a team does not attempt to score a goal within 24 seconds of obtaining the ball, play is stopped. In 1957, rookie center Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics, who already featured guard Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, and went on to lead the club to eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons. Center Wilt Chamberlain entered the league with the Warriors in 1959 and became a dominant individual star of the 1960s, russells rivalry with Chamberlain became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of American team sports. The 1960s were dominated by the Celtics, led by Russell, Bob Cousy and coach Red Auerbach, Boston won eight straight championships in the NBA from 1959 to 1966
15.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
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The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as the sports most complete library, in addition to promoting and preserving the history of basketball, dedicated to Canadian physician and inventor of the sport James Naismith, it was opened and inducted its first class in 1959. As of the induction of the Class of 2016 on September 9,2016, the Naismith Hall of Fame was established in 1959 by Lee Williams, a former athletic director at Colby College. In the 1960s, the Basketball Hall of Fame struggled to raise money for the construction of its first facility. The Basketball Hall of Fames Board named four inductees in its first year, in addition to honoring those who contributed to basketball, the Hall of Fame sought to make contributions of its own. In 1979, the Hall of Fame sponsored the Tip-Off Classic and this Tip-Off Classic has been the start to the college basketball season ever since, and although it does not always take place in Springfield, Massachusetts, generally it returns every few years. In the 17 years that the original Basketball Hall of Fame operated at Springfield College, the popularity of the Basketball Hall of Fame necessitated that a new facility be constructed, and in 1985, an $11 million facility was built beside the scenic Connecticut River in Springfield. As the new hall opened, it also recognized women for the first time, with such as Senda Berenson Abbott. In 2002, the Basketball Hall of Fame moved again—albeit merely 100 yards south along Springfields riverfront—into a $47 million facility designed by renowned architects Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, the buildings architecture features a metallic silver, basketball-shaped sphere flanked by two similarly symmetrical rhombuses. The dome is illuminated at night and features 80,000 square foot, including numerous restaurants, the second Basketball Hall of Fame was not torn down but rather converted into an LA Fitness health clubs. The current Basketball Hall of Fame features Center Court, a basketball court on which visitors can play. Inside the building there are a gallery, many interactive exhibits, several theaters. A large theater for ceremonies seats up to 300, the honorees inducted in 2002 included the Harlem Globetrotters and Magic Johnson, a five-time NBA champion, three-time NBA finals MVP and Olympic gold medalist. As of 2011, the current Basketball Hall of Fame has greatly exceeded attendance expectations, despite the new facilitys success, a logistical problem remains for the Basketball Hall of Fame and the City of Springfield. Urban planners at universities such as UMass Amherst have called for the I-91 to be moved, in 2010, the Urban Land Institute announced a plan to make the walk between Springfields Metro Center and the Hall of Fame easier. Since 2011, the induction process employs a total of seven committees to both screen and elect candidates, since 2011, the Veterans and International Committees also vote to directly induct one candidate for each induction class. Contributor Direct Election Committee Note that other committees may choose to elect contributors, for example, the 2014 class included two contributors. However, each screening committee is limited as to the number of candidates it can put forth to the Honors Committee—10 from the North American Committee, any individual receiving at least 18 affirmative votes from the Honors Committee is approved for induction into the Hall of Fame
16.
Michigan
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Michigan /ˈmɪʃᵻɡən/ is a state in the Great Lakes and Midwestern regions of the United States. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, Michigan is the tenth most populous of the 50 United States, with the 11th most extensive total area. Its capital is Lansing, and its largest city is Detroit, Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is noted to be shaped like a mitten. The Upper Peninsula is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, the two peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge. The state has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world, being bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, as a result, it is one of the leading U. S. states for recreational boating. Michigan also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds, a person in the state is never more than six miles from a natural water source or more than 85 miles from a Great Lakes shoreline. What is now the state of Michigan was first settled by Native American tribes before being colonized by French explorers in the 17th century, the area was organized as part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800, when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory. Eventually, in 1805, the Michigan Territory was formed, which lasted until it was admitted into the Union on January 26,1837, the state of Michigan soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region and a popular immigrant destination. Though Michigan has come to develop an economy, it is widely known as the center of the U. S. automotive industry. When the first European explorers arrived, the most populous tribes were Algonquian peoples, which include the Anishinaabe groups of Ojibwe, Odaawaa/Odawa, the three nations co-existed peacefully as part of a loose confederation called the Council of Three Fires. The Ojibwe, whose numbers are estimated to have been between 25,000 and 35,000, were the largest, French voyageurs and coureurs des bois explored and settled in Michigan in the 17th century. The first Europeans to reach what became Michigan were those of Étienne Brûlés expedition in 1622, the first permanent European settlement was founded in 1668 on the site where Père Jacques Marquette established Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan as a base for Catholic missions, missionaries in 1671–75 founded outlying stations at Saint Ignace and Marquette. Jesuit missionaries were received by the areas Indian populations, with relatively few difficulties or hostilities. In 1679, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle built Fort Miami at present-day St. Joseph, in 1691, the French established a trading post and Fort St. Joseph along the St. Joseph River at the present day city of Niles. The hundred soldiers and workers who accompanied Cadillac built a fort enclosing one arpent, cadillacs wife, Marie Thérèse Guyon, soon moved to Detroit, becoming one of the first European women to settle in the Michigan wilderness. The town quickly became a major fur-trading and shipping post, the Église de Saint-Anne was founded the same year
17.
Spencer Haywood
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Spencer Haywood is an American former professional basketball player. In 1964, Haywood moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1967, while attending Pershing High School, Haywood led the schools basketball team to the state championship. Haywood attended Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad, Colorado, during the 1967–68 college season, due to his exceptional performance and talent, Haywood made the USA Olympic Basketball team in 1968. Haywood was the scorer on the USAs gold medal winning basketball team during the 1968 Olympics at 16.1 points per game. Haywood transferred to the University of Detroit in the fall of that year and he decided to turn pro after his sophomore year, but National Basketball Association rules, which then required a player to wait until his class graduated, prohibited him from entering the league. As a result, he joined the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association. In his rookie season, Haywood led the ABA in scoring at 30.0 points per game and rebounding at 19.5 rebounds per game while leading the Rockets to the ABAs Western Division Title. In the playoffs, Denver defeated the Washington Capitols in 7 games in the Western Division Semifinals before falling to the Los Angeles Stars in the finals,4 games to 1. He was named both the ABA Rookie of the Year and ABA MVP during the 1969–70 season, and became the youngest ever recipient of the MVP at the age of 21. His 986 field goals made,1,637 rebounds, and 19.5 rebound per game average are the all-time ABA records for a season. Haywood also won the ABAs 1970 All-Star Game MVP that year after recording 23 points,19 rebounds, in 1970, despite the NBAs eligibility rules, Haywood joined the Seattle SuperSonics, and with SuperSonics owner Sam Schulman launched an anti-trust suit against the league. The case went all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court before the NBA agreed to a settlement, Haywood was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1972 and 1973 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1974 and 1975. Haywoods 29.2 points per game in the 1972–73 season and 13.4 rebounds per game in 1973–74 are still the single-season record averages for the SuperSonics for these categories. Haywood played in four NBA All-Star Games while with Seattle, including a strong 23 point 11 rebound performance in 1974, in the 1974–75 season, he helped lead the SuperSonics to their first playoff berth. Overall, during his five seasons with Seattle, Haywood averaged 24.9 points per game and 12.1 rebounds per game, in 1975, the SuperSonics traded him to the New York Knicks where he later teamed with Bob McAdoo. Haywood later played for the New Orleans Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, during the late 1970s, Haywood became addicted to cocaine. He was dismissed from the Lakers by then-coach Paul Westhead during the 1980 NBA Finals for falling asleep during practice due to his addiction. The next season Haywood played in Italy for Reyer Venezia Mestre along with Dražen Dalipagić before returning to the NBA to play two seasons with the Washington Bullets, haywoods no.24 jersey was retired by the SuperSonics during a halftime ceremony on February 26,2007
18.
Ralph Simpson
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Not to be confused with Ralph Sampson, who played in the NBA from 1983 to 1992 Ralph Derek Simpson is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association from 1970 to 1980, Simpson, a 66 guard/forward, was a star at Detroits Pershing High School, where he teamed with Spencer Haywood to win the Michigan state championship in 1967. He was offered a tryout for the 1968 United States Olympic team, after two strong years at Michigan State University, he signed a professional contract with the ABAs Denver Rockets, and he would represent the franchise in five ABA All-Star games. Simpson had his finest season in 1971–1972, in which he averaged 27.4 points,4.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. However, he averaged only 5.5 points during his tenure with the Nuggets. Simpson scored 11,785 combined ABA/NBA points in his ten-year career and his 9,953 points were the most for the Nuggets during the teams time in the ABA. Simpson currently lives in Denver, Colorado. His daughter is Grammy Award-winning soul singer India. Arie, career stats at basketball-reference. com Ralph Simpson at Remember the ABA
19.
Kevin Willis
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Kevin Alvin Willis is an American retired professional basketball player mostly known for playing with the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association. He was a 7-foot power forward/center, Willis is one of fifteen players in NBA history with over 16,000 career points and 11,000 career rebounds. He was named to the NBA Eastern Conference All-Star Team in 1992, Willis holds career averages of 12.2 ppg,8.4 rpg, and 0.9 apg while averaging 27 minutes per game in 21 NBA seasons. He shares the record for most seasons played in the NBA with Robert Parish and Kevin Garnett. During the 2004–05 season, Willis was the oldest player in the league at age 42, born in Los Angeles, Willis graduated from Pershing High School in Detroit and joined the basketball team in his junior year. Willis played competitively at Jackson College for his season and transferred to Michigan State University. He was selected in the 1984 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks and he played with the Hawks for nine seasons until 1994. Willis teamed with Dominique Wilkins, Spud Webb, and Doc Rivers to frequently guide the Hawks to playoff appearances as well as providing a fierce rebounding presence in the post, near the end of his stint with the Hawks, he and Wilkins were both made team captains. Willis was traded to the Miami Heat in 1994, after that he played with the Golden State Warriors. He served two stints with the Houston Rockets. He also spent two stints with the Denver Nuggets He also spent some time with the Toronto Raptors, now quite old, Willis joined the San Antonio Spurs. It was in 2003 with the Spurs that he won an NBA Championship ring. Willis returned to the Hawks for one season in 2004–05. On March 30,2007, The Dallas Morning News reported that Willis needed only to pass a physical to be able to sign with the Western Conference-leading Dallas Mavericks, Willis, who did not play in 2005–06, was reported to take the teams vacant 15th roster spot. The deal became official when he signed a 10-day contract with the Mavericks on April 2,2007 and he appeared in 5 late regular season games and was on the Mavericks playoff roster as the 12th man but did not play in the Mavericks shock early first round exit. Willis ended his career after the 2007 season, returning to his clothing business. The Atlanta-based company, which specializes in custom wear for big and tall men, was founded in 1988 by Willis, in 2007, Willis made three appearances on the Spike TV reality show, Pros vs Joes. com Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference. com Hey
20.
Steve Smith (basketball)
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Steven Delano Steve Smith is an American retired basketball player who is currently a basketball analyst. He won a championship with the Spurs in 2003, Smith was widely regarded as an excellent three-point shooter, he is one of three players to make seven 3 pointers in a quarter. He joined the USA mens national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship winning the gold medal. He won another medal at the 1999 Tournament of the Americas. Smith finished his career as the all-time leading scorer in Michigan State history. He ranks fourth on the schools all-time assists list and fifth in rebounds, for his college career Smith averaged 18.5 points,6.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest in 122 games. He was named a First Team All-American as both a junior and a senior and he was inducted into Michigan States Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001. Smith was selected fifth overall in the 1991 NBA draft by the Miami Heat, Smith played in 61 games in his rookie season, starting in 59 with averages of 12 points a game and 4.6 assists. The young team made the playoffs to face the top seeded defending champion Chicago Bulls, Smith averaged 16 points a game for the series. Injuries limited Smith 48 games in the 1992–93 season, but he increased his average to 16 points a game. Miami didnt make the playoffs that year, the series went to 5 games, as Miami won its first playoff games in franchise history. Smith led the team in scoring during the series with 19.2 points and shot 40 percent from beyond the three point line. Smith started in 59 of 78 games for Atlanta and averaged 16 points during the season and 19 points in the playoffs. He would go on to average a then career high 18.1 points a game in 80 starts in the 1995–96 season, forming a formidable backcourt one-two punch with Mookie Blaylock. The team under head coach Lenny Wilkens would win 46 games, Smith averaged 21.7 points in 10 playoff games, including a 35-point performance in a game 4 win against the Magic. The following season would feature another career high scoring average for Smith, the team also featured players such as Christian Laettner and Dikembe Mutombo, and would go on to win 56 games before meeting and defeating the Detroit Pistons in a 5-game first round series. Smith played well against Detroit and held his own against Michael Jordan and the defending champion Chicago Bulls, the Hawks had no answer however for the New York Knicks, and again the Hawks were eliminated in the semifinals. Smith averaged 17.3 points a game in the 1999 playoffs, Portland was a loaded team that had reached the Western Conference Finals in the 1999 playoffs and featured star forward Rasheed Wallace as well as the newly acquired Scottie Pippen
21.
University of New Mexico
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The University of New Mexico is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is New Mexicos flagship research institution, the largest post-secondary institution in the state in total enrollment across all campuses as of 2012, founded in 1889, UNM offers bachelors, masters, doctoral, and professional degree programs in a wide variety of fields. Its Albuquerque campus encompasses over 600 acres, and there are campuses in Gallup, Los Alamos, Rio Rancho, Taos. UNM is categorized as an R1 doctoral university in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the University of New Mexico was founded on February 28,1889, with the passage of House Bill No. Two years later, Elias S. Stover became the first president of the University, the third president of UNM, William G. Tight, who served from 1901–09, introduced many programs for students and faculty, including the first fraternity and sorority. Tight introduced the Pueblo Revival architecture for which the campus has become known, under David Ross Boyd, the universitys fifth president, the campus was enlarged from 20 to 300 acres and a 200, 000-acre federal land grant was made to the university. In 1922, the university was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges, under Zimmerman, many new buildings were constructed, student enrollment increased, new departments were added, and greater support was generated for scientific research. Among the new buildings constructed were Zimmerman Library, Scholes Hall, the first student union building and this period also saw the foundation of UNMs branch facilities in Los Alamos and Gallup and the acquisition of the D. H. Lawrence Ranch north of Taos. During the early 1970s, a series of protests were held at the university, on May 5,1970, a protest over the Vietnam War and the Kent State massacre occupied the Student Union Building. The National Guard was ordered to sweep the building and arrest those inside, on May 10,1972, a peaceful sit-in protest near Kirtland Air Force Base led to the arrest of thirty-five people and was pushed back to UNM, leading to eight more arrests. The following day, tear gas was used against hundreds of demonstrators on campus, New programs and schools were created in the 1970s and the university gained control over the hospital on North Campus. At the end of the decade, the university was implicated in a recruiting scandal dubbed Lobogate by the press, subsequent investigation turned up a manufactured college seal from Mercer County Community College in New Jersey, along with blank transcripts and records of previous forgery. Further investigation uncovered alleged incentives like cars and apartments doled out to prime players, the scandal forced Ellenberger to resign and defined the term of William E. Davis, UNMs eleventh president. The university has continued to grow, with expanding enrollment and new facilities, in the 1980s, dramatic expansion occurred at the medical center, business school, and engineering school. The Centennial Library was also constructed, during the 1990s, an Honors College was founded, and the university completed construction of a new bookstore and Dane Smith Hall. The Research Park at South Campus was also expanded, by this point, the university had one of the largest student and faculty populations of Hispanics and Native Americans in the country. A study released in 1995 showed that the number of full-time Hispanic faculty at UNM was four times greater than the national average, the schools of law and business had some of the largest Hispanic student populations of any university in the country. In the first decade of the 2000s, major expansion began on medical facilities on North Campus, the current visitor center, a new engineering center, and George Pearl Hall were constructed
22.
Bob King (basketball)
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Bob King was a college basketball coach and administrator. He was head coach at the University of New Mexico from 1962 to 1972 and he also served as Assistant Athletics Director at New Mexico and Athletics Director at Indiana State. King coached basketball Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Mel Daniels, the success of his New Mexico teams led to the construction of The Pit, the home venue of the Lobos, and its court is named after him. He also assembled the Indiana State team that went to the 1979 NCAA Final Four, both schools have inducted King into their Athletics Halls of Fame, as has the Missouri Valley Conference. King was born in Gravity, Iowa, where he was an All-State basketball player in high school and he played on the freshman team at the University of Iowa before graduating in three years with a bachelors degree in Physical Education in 1947. He earned a degree in Educational Guidance and Psychology from Drake University in 1957. King coached for 12 seasons at Britt and Algona high schools in Iowa and West High in Rockford, Illinois and he then became an assistant coach at Iowa for two seasons under Sharm Scheuerman, where he coached two-time All-American and NBA player and Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson. King was hired as coach of the New Mexico Lobos in 1962. The Lobo program had gone 42–149 over the eight seasons and had only two winning seasons in the previous fifteen years. King transformed the program immediately, winning games in his first two seasons than the team had won in the previous six combined. King instilled fundamental principles of the game, running a disciplined offense and his first Lobo squad was led by future ABA-standout Ira Harge, who transferred to New Mexico from a Junior College in Iowa. The Lobos went 16-9 in their first season under King, in 1963-64, they won the WAC championship for the first time and went to the NIT in New York City. They defeated Drake and upset NYU before losing in the game to Bradley, finishing the season 23-6. Harge averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds as a Lobo and was honored as the most prolific scorer in the history of the school at the time, King next signed center Mel Daniels, one of the greatest players in Lobo history. Daniels averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds a game as a starter, leading the team to a combined 54-24 record. Daniels went on to become an ABA All-Time Team member after winning two MVP awards and three championships with the Indiana Pacers, in 2012 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. After his playing career, Daniels joined King’s staff at Indiana State as an assistant, the Lobos entered the national rankings for the first time and spent a total of 52 weeks in the rankings during Kings tenure. The team became popular in Albuquerque, attendance at their games more than doubled
23.
Larry Bird
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Larry Joe Bird is an American professional basketball executive, former coach and former player, currently serving as president of the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association. Since retiring as a player for the Boston Celtics, he has been a mainstay in the Indiana Pacers organization, Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star and was named the leagues Most Valuable Player three consecutive times. He played his professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards. He was a member of the 1992 United States mens Olympic basketball team won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Bird was voted to the NBAs 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and he served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of operations for the Pacers. After a year away from the position, he announced he would return to the Pacers as president of operations in 2013. In addition to being part of the 50–40–90 club, he is the person in NBA history to be named Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year. Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana to Georgia and Claude Joseph Joe Bird and he was raised in nearby French Lick, where his mother worked two jobs to support Larry and his five siblings. Bird has said that being poor as a child still motivates him to this day, Georgia and Joe divorced when Larry was in high school, and Joe committed suicide about a year later. Bird received a scholarship to college basketball for the Indiana University Hoosiers in 1974. After less than a month on campus he dropped out of school and he returned to French Lick, enrolling at Northwood Institute in nearby West Baden, and working municipal jobs for a year before enrolling at Indiana State University in Terre Haute in 1975. Indiana State would lose the game 75–64, with Bird scoring 19 points, despite failing to win the championship, Bird earned numerous year-end awards and honors for his outstanding play, including the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. For his college career, he averaged 30.3 points,13.3 rebounds, Bird also appeared in one game for the baseball team, going 1-for-2 with 2 RBI. Bird was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth pick in the 1978 NBA draft. He did not sign with the Celtics immediately, instead, he played out his season at Indiana State. After protracted negotiations, Bird inked a five-year, $3.25 million contract with the team, shortly afterwards, NBA draft eligibility rules were changed to prevent teams from drafting players before they were ready to sign, a rule known as the Bird Collegiate Rule. Bird immediately transformed the Celtics into a contender, helping them improve their win total by 32 games from the year before he was drafted
24.
Springfield, Massachusetts
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Springfield is a city in western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers, the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern Mill River. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 153,060. Metropolitan Springfield, as one of two areas in Massachusetts, had an estimated population of 698,903 as of 2009. The first Springfield in the New World, it is the largest city in Western New England, and the urban, economic and it is the third-largest city in Massachusetts and fourth-largest in New England after Boston, Worcester, and Providence. Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, lies 23.9 miles south of Springfield, bradley International Airport, which sits 12 miles south of Metro Center Springfield, is Hartford-Springfields airport. Springfield was founded in 1636 by English Puritan William Pynchon as Agawam Plantation under the administration of the Connecticut Colony, in 1641 it was renamed after Pynchons hometown of Springfield, Essex, England, following incidents that precipitated the settlement joining the Massachusetts Bay Colony. From 1777 until its closing during the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory attracted skilled laborers to Springfield, arsenal at Springfield during Shays Rebellion of 1787 led directly to the formation of the U. S. Springfield is located at 42°6′45″N 72°32′51″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.2 square miles, of which 32.1 square miles is land and 1.1 square miles is water. Once nicknamed The City in a Forest, Springfield features over 4, aside from its rivers, Springfields 2nd most prominent topographical feature is the citys 735 acres Forest Park, designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Forest Park also borders Western Massachusetts most affluent town, Longmeadow, Springfield shares borders with other well-heeled suburbs such as East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Ludlow and the de-industrializing city of Chicopee. The small cities of Agawam and West Springfield, Massachusetts lie less than a mile from Springfields Metro Center, across the Connecticut River. The City of Springfield also owns the Springfield Country Club, which is located in the city of West Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield, like other cities in southern New England, has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold with a average in January of around 26 °F. During winter, noreaster storms can drop significant snowfalls on Springfield, Springfields summers are very warm and sometimes humid. During summer, several times per month, on hot days afternoon thunderstorms will develop when unstable warm air collides with approaching cold fronts, the daily average in July is around 74 °F. Usually several days during the summer exceed 90 °F, constituting a heat wave, Spring and fall temperatures are usually pleasant, with mild days and crisp, cool nights
25.
Connie Hawkins
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It was on the New York City courts that he earned his nickname The Hawk. Hawkins was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, where he attended Boys High School, Hawkins soon became a fixture at Rucker Park, a legendary outdoor court where he battled against some of the best players in the world. Hawkins did not play much until his year at Boys High. Hawkins was All-City first team as a junior as Boys went undefeated, during his senior year he averaged 25.5 ppg, including one game in which he scored 60, and Boys again went undefeated and won the 1960 PSAL title. Hawkins then signed an offer to play at the University of Iowa. During Hawkins freshman year at Iowa, he was a victim of the surrounding a point-shaving scandal that had started in New York City. Hawkins name surfaced in an interview conducted with an individual who was involved in the scandal, Hawkins had borrowed $200 from Molinas for school expenses, which his brother Fred repaid before the scandal broke in 1961. The scandal became known as the 1961 College Basketball Gambling Scandal, despite the fact that Hawkins could not have been involved in point-shaving, he was kept from seeking legal counsel while being grilled by New York City detectives who were investigating the scandal. Hawkins never admitted to any wrongdoing, as a result of the investigation, despite never being arrested or indicted, Hawkins was expelled from Iowa. He was effectively blackballed from the ranks, no NCAA or NAIA school would offer him a scholarship. NBA Commissioner J. Walter Kennedy let it be known that he would not approve any contract for Hawkins to play in the league, at the time, the NBA had a policy barring players who were even remotely involved with point-shaving scandals. As a result, when his class was eligible for the draft in 1964 and he went undrafted in 1965 as well before being formally banned from the league in 1966. When that league folded, Hawkins spent three years performing with the Harlem Globetrotters, Hawkins led the ABA in scoring that year and won both the ABAs regular-season and playoff MVP awards. The Pipers moved to Minnesota for the 1968–69 season, and injuries limited Hawkins to 47 games, Hawkins had surgery on his knee. The Pipers made the playoffs despite injuries to their top four players, the NBA settled with Hawkins after the 1968–69 season, paying him a cash settlement of nearly $1.3 million, and assigned his rights to the expansion Phoenix Suns. In 1969, Hawkins hit the ground running in his first season with the Suns, in the final game of his rookie season, Connie had 44 points,20 rebounds,8 assists,5 blocks and 5 steals. For the series, Hawkins averaged 25 points,14 rebounds and 7 assists per game, Hawkins missed 11 games due to injury during the 1970–71 season, averaging 21 points per game. He matched those stats the next year, and was the top scorer on a basis for the Suns in 1971–72
