1.
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
2.
Texas Longhorns men's basketball
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The Texas Longhorns mens basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I intercollegiate mens basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference, the University of Texas began varsity intercollegiate competition in mens basketball in 1906. Among Big 12 Conference mens basketball programs, Texas is second only to Kansas in both wins and all-time win percentage. The Texas basketball program experienced substantial success during the decades of its existence. Since 1977, the team has played its games in the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. The team is led by second-year head coach Shaka Smart. Mainland had been a nationally known basketball player as a student at Wheaton College prior to coming to UT. His Wheaton team placed out of the three competing college basketball teams in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, the first Olympic Games featuring the young sport. The Longhorns took the court for the first time on March 10,1906, Texas traveled to Waco two weeks later for a three-game series with the Bears and won all three games behind the play of Mainland. The Longhorns ultimately won seven of the eight games scheduled in the programs inaugural season. Due to inadequate funding, the UT Athletic Council canceled the program after two seasons, leaving Texas without a basketball team for the 1908 season. The Athletics Council revived the program in 1909, owing in part to the efforts of Longhorn player Morgan Vining. Metzenthin finished with an record of 13–14, not until 1959 would another UT basketball coach leave with a losing overall record. Taylor, also the Texas track coach, assumed head coaching responsibilities for the 1913 season. Taylor came to UT with a reputation for basketball expertise. At the conclusion of the 1912–13 academic year, the UTs Cactus yearbook declared and it always has been so considered until this year Prof. Carl Taylor took charge of the work and infused new life into it, L. Bellmonts teams contributed 25 victories to a winning streak that would ultimately grow to 44 games. Hendersons team recorded Texas third consecutive undefeated season in 1916 to extend the total to 40 consecutive victories. S, Attorney General under Woodrow Wilson in 1914
3.
Big 12 Conference
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The Big 12 Conference is a ten-school collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas. Its ten members, located in Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, additionally, the Big 12 has ten affiliate members, six for the sport of wrestling, one for womens gymnastics, and 3 for womens rowing. The Big 12 Conference is a 501 nonprofit organization incorporated in Delaware, the Big 12 was formerly composed of 12 schools, hence its name, it was formed in 1996 when four schools from the collapsing Southwest Conference joined with the pre-existing Big Eight Conference. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were grouped with the four newcomers in the Big 12 South, TCU and West Virginia joined from the Mountain West and Big East Conferences respectively to offset two of the departing schools, bringing the conference to its current strength. Attempts to rename the Big 12 to reflect its current strength would lead to confusion with the current Big Ten Conference, the Big 12 Conference commissioner is Bob Bowlsby. Full members Assoc. member Other Conference The Big 12 Conference sponsors championship competition in ten mens, nonetheless, it is an open coed sport in NCAA college athletics, with mens, womens, and coed teams in all NCAA divisions competing against each other. TCU and West Virginia both field coed teams, through 2017, West Virginia with 19 national titles and TCU with two, together have won over half of the NCAA titles awarded since the inaugural NCAA championship in 1980. West Virginia also won four national titles. The Big 12 began athletic play in the fall of 1996, from its formation until 2011, its 12 members competed in two divisions. Between 2011 and 2012 four charter members left the conference while two joined in 2013. The Big 12 is unique among the current Power Five conferences in that it only has 10 members, despite the name, causing some confusion. From 1987 to 2015,12 or more members were required for a championship game. Former Texas Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds and former football coach Mack Brown, along with Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops, critics argued it was a competitive advantage over other contract conferences. Conferences with a game have their division champions typically play one of their toughest games of the year in the last week of the regular season. Unlike the other Power 5 conferences in which a team plays a portion of the other teams in the conference each season. This theoretically allows for the declaration of a de facto champion without the need for a rematch between the top two teams in the conference. On June 3,2016, the conference announced it would reinstate the football game in the 2017 season. This followed the passage of a new NCAA rule allowing all FBS conferences to hold football championship games regardless of their membership numbers, the Big 12 population base is centered on the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, West Virginia and Iowa
4.
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
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North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. As of the United States Estimated Population 2013, the population was 35,320 making it the 13th largest municipality in the state, North Kingstown is home to the birthplace of the famous American portraitist Gilbert Stuart who was born in the village of Saunderstown. The town of Kings Towne was founded in 1674, by the government, and included the present day towns of North Kingstown, South Kingstown, Exeter. In 1722, Kings Towne was split into two parts, North Kingstown and South Kingstown, with North Kingstown, having the earliest settlements, in 1742 the town of Exeter was taken from the western part of North Kingstown. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 58.3 square miles. 43.6 square miles of it is land and 14.8 square miles of it is water, as of the census of 2000, there were 26,326 people,10,154 households, and 7,310 families residing in the town. The population density was 603.9 people per square mile, there were 10,743 housing units at an average density of 246.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 95. 71% White,0. 97% African American,0. 55% Native American,0. 95% Asian,0. 03% Pacific Islander,0. 53% from other races, and 1. 25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1. 77% of the population,22. 5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8. 2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the family size was 3.03. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 26. 0% under the age of 18,6. 0% from 18 to 24,29. 6% from 25 to 44,26. 6% from 45 to 64, the median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males, for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $83,887, males had a median income of $28,883 versus $25,712 for females. The per capita income for the town was $39,324, about 18. 8% of families and 16. 1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9. 6% of those under age 18 and 4. 8% of those age 65 or over. Wickford Junction is a station on the Providence/Stoughton Commuter Rail Line, providing weekday service to Providence Station. Davis Memorial Wildlife Refuge,96 acres of forest and wetlands preserved by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, Devils Foot Rock, A footprint-like natural impression or possibly petrosomatoglyph. Legends going back to the colonial era tell of a squaw being chased by the devil, some say that she fled from Boston. Her pursuer is said to have left his footprints at Devils Foot Rock, then at Chimney Hill in South Kingstown, Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum, The house in which American portraitist Gilbert Stuart was born in 1755
5.
Kenyon College
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Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, United States, founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges, the acceptance rate for the Class of 2019 was 23. 8%, the most selective year to date. After becoming the first Episcopal Bishop of Ohio in 1818, Philander Chase found a lack of trained clergy on the Ohio frontier. He planned to create a seminary to rectify this problem, undeterred, he sailed to England and solicited donations from Lord Kenyon, Lord Gambier, and the writer and philanthropist Hannah More, and the College was incorporated in December,1824. Dissatisfied with the location of the College in Worthington, Chase purchased 8,000 acres of land in Knox County. There is a legend that Bishop Chase exclaimed, Well, this will do upon reaching the crest of the hill, Kenyon requires students to take classes in each of the four academic divisions, Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. In addition, students must show a basic competence in a foreign language, the Gund Gallery, a 31,000 square feet visual arts center and exhibition space, was founded in 2011. It hosts lectures, public programming and temporary exhibitions that are free, Kenyon is also home to the Beta of Ohio Chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Kenyons sports teams, which compete in the North Coast Athletic Conference, are referred to as the Lords and Ladies, and their colors are purple, white, and black with gold often added as an accent. The colleges mens swimming team is notable in NCAA Division III, for winning, the womens swimming team is also considered among the best, winning 23 titles of its own since 1984. Former Swim Coach Jim Steen has coached the most conference titles in any sport in NCAA history, in 2013, under Head Coach Jess Book, the mens team won the national title and the womens team took second. Field hockey, football and mens lacrosse are played at McBride Field which has a capacity of 1,762. In the 2017 U. S. News & World Report rankings, forbes magazine in 2016 ranked Kenyon 48th overall, and 7th in the Midwest, out of the 650 colleges and universities on its list of Americas Best Colleges. In 2006 Newsweek selected Kenyon College as one of twenty-five New Ivies on the basis of admissions statistics as well as interviews with administrators, students, faculty and it was also listed in Greenes list of Hidden Ivies in 2000. Kenyons campus also garners acclaim for its beauty, for example, for the class of 2019, Kenyon received 7,077 applications and accepted 1,689. The number enrolling for the class of 2018 was 452 making the yield rate 27. 2%, in terms of class rank, 62% of enrolled freshmen were in the top 10% of their high school classes. The mean ACT Composite score was 30.1, the middle 50% range was 28-32, as Ohios oldest private college, Kenyon has upheld some traditions for more than 180 years. All students in each entering class are expected to take the Matriculation Oath, another tradition is the First-Year Sing
6.
Point guard
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The point guard, also called the one or point, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position, point guards are expected to run the teams offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right players at the right time. A point guard, like other player positions in basketball, specializes in certain skills, a point guards primary job is to facilitate scoring opportunities for his/her team, or sometimes for themselves. Lee Rose has described a point guard as a coach on the floor and this involves setting up plays on the court, getting the ball to the teammate in the best position to score, and controlling the tempo of the game. A point guard should know when and how to instigate a fast break, point guards are expected to be vocal floor leaders. A point guard needs always to have in mind the times on the clock and the game clock, the score. Among the taller players who have enjoyed success at the position is Magic Johnson, other point guards who have been named NBA MVP include Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Derrick Rose and two-time winners Stephen Curry and Steve Nash. In the NBA, point guards are usually about 65 or shorter, having above-average size is considered advantageous, although size is secondary to situational awareness, speed, quickness, and ball handling skills. Shorter players tend to be better dribblers since they are closer to the floor, after an opponent scores, it is typically the point guard who brings the ball down court to begin an offensive play. Passing skills, ball handling, and court vision are crucial, speed is important, a speedy point guard is better able to create separation and space off the dribble, giving him/herself room to work. Point guards are often valued more for their assist totals than for their scoring, another major evaluation factor is Assist-to-Turnover ratio, which reflects the decision-making skills of the player. Still, a point guard should also have a reasonably effective jump shot. The point guard is positioned on the perimeter of the play and this is a necessity because of the point guards many leadership obligations. Many times, the point guard is referred to by announcers as a coach on the floor or a floor general, in the past, this was particularly true, as several point guards such as Lenny Wilkens served their teams as player-coaches. This is not so common anymore, as most coaches are now solely specialized in coaching and are non-players, former Suns head coach Mike DAntoni had often allowed Steve Nash to freelance when leading the Suns offense, even letting him call his own plays at times. Even point guards who are not given this much freedom, however, are extensions of their coach on the floor. John Stockton is widely considered to be the point guard. He also used the pick and roll maneuvre with Karl Malone, along with leadership and a general basketball acumen, ball-handling is a skill of great importance to a point guard
7.
Akron Zips men's basketball
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The Akron Zips mens basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference East division, the team first played in the NCAA Tournament in 1986 when Bob Huggins was their coach. The Zips are currently coached by Keith Dambrot, who has coached them since the 2004–05 season, the Zips won their first MAC East division title in 1998. In 2006, the Zips received an invitation to the NIT, in 2007, the team won their second MAC East title and tied the school record for wins in a season in the Division I era with 26. They also made their appearance in the MAC Tournament Championship game. The loss cost them the MACs automatic berth and they were not selected for either the 2007 NCAA Tournament or NIT. The Zips posted a 24–11 record in 2008 which included an appearance in the MAC tournament championship game. In 2008 the Zips officially announced they had signed a partnership to be outfitted by the LeBron James line by Nike. They are now the team with a LJ23/Nike contract. Nike has released several Zips themed versions of LeBrons shoes, some are available to the public, while others are exclusively for the members of the basketball team. The team was established in 1901, when the school was known as Buchtel College, playing their first game against Mount Union College. The team played just four games in the 1901–1902 season, winning their final two against the Western Reserve College medical school, the teams first three seasons were spent without the benefit of a head coach. This changed with the arrival of the first head coach, Earl Williams, the Zips began play in the Ohio Athletic Conference in 1923 where they would compete from 1923–1965 except for 1936–1944 when the University left the OAC and competed as an independent. In the OAC, Akron would win 8 conference titles and five tournament titles, after the 1965–1966 season Akron left the OAC for good and competed as an independent in the NCAAs College Division, which would later be renamed Division II. When the NCAA divided into three divisions in 1973, the Zips would play one season in Division III before moving to Division II, where they would play from 1975–1980. The Zips participated in the NCAA Division II tournament on seven different occasions, coach Laterza’s winning percentage at UA of.751 remains best in the history of the program. Akron would play one season in the OVC and earn a berth in the 1987 National Invitation Tournament before another stint as an independent from 1987–1990. Huggins would lead the Zips to the 1989 NIT before leaving Akron after the season to coach at Cincinnati, Akron would rejoin the Mid-Continent Conference in 1990 and compete for two seasons before officially beginning play in the Mid-American Conference in 1992
8.
Clemson Tigers men's basketball
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The Clemson Tigers mens basketball team is a college basketball program that represents Clemson University and competes in the NCAA Division I. Clemson is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Clemson sponsored its first mens team in the 1911–12 season, winning its first conference championship in 1939. The Clemson basketball programs have won roughly 75% of their games played in Littlejohn, Clemsons current head coach is Brad Brownell. Clemsons basketball history had an unusual beginning, the Tigers first two basketball games were both played in Greenville, South Carolina on February 9,1912, a 46-12 win at Furman, followed by a 78-6 victory over the Butler Guards later that evening. Clemson won its first seven games in the history, the longest streak to open a program among the current 15 ACC schools. Former Pittsburgh Nationals player Frank Dobson was Clemsons first basketball coach, Southern Conference, The Tigers began play in the Southern Conference in 1921, and in 1922–23 had an 11-6 finish. Josh Cody, coached for five seasons, the longest tenure for a Clemson Basketball coach in the first 25 years, in 1928–29 the Tigers won 15 games, a school record, and then followed that with a 16-9 mark. Cody pulled off the first huge upset in Clemson basketball history when the Tigers defeated Adolph Rupps 10-1 Kentucky Wildcats, 29-26, from 1931–40, Joe Davis coached Clemson to 101 victories, including 44 wins on the road. Davis still has the best winning percentage in Clemson history on the road, in the 1938–39 season, the Tigers won 10 of their last 11 games to close the regular season. Banks McFadden, eventual All-American in both football and basketball averaged 11.8 points per game to lead the team as the pivot to four victories. It was a run in the tournament as Clemson beat North Carolina, 44-43, Wake Forest, 30-28, Davidson 49-33. McFaddens best year as coach was the 1951–52 season when the Tigers were 17-7 overall, in 1953, Clemson became a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. In the 1954–55 season, Bill Yarborough averaged 28.3 points per game, 4th best in the nation, Press Maravich, father of basketball legend Pete Maravich, coached the Tigers to a 96-94 double overtime victory against a #8 NC State team. In 1963–64, coach Bobby Roberts guided the Tigers to an 8-6 record in the ACC, the season included the only regular season sweep of North Carolina in school history. Roberts beat the Tar Heels and Dean Smith, 66-64, in overtime at Clemson to open the season. Clemson won seven straight ACC games including wins over Wake Forest, #14 Duke, North Carolina State. It was the first sweep of the North Carolina ACC schools in ACC history, Clemson finished with a 17-8 record and 9-5 record in the ACC
