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.
Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers mens basketball team is the college basketball program representing the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The program saw its first game in 1897 playing 7-on-7 basketball, the first collegiate game was against Nebraska Wesleyan University. Throughout the years, the program had 1,370 wins and 1,218 losses with 7 NCAA appearances and 16 NIT appearances, Nebraskas only major national trophy came when they won the 1996 NIT. Nebraska has the distinction of being the major conference program to have never won a single game in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, Nebraska did not make its first NCAA Tournament appearance until 1986, much of the teams success came under the tenure of Danny Nee, head coach from 1987 to 2000. Nee is the teams all-time winningest head coach with a record of 254-190, Nee led the Cornhuskers to five of their seven NCAA Tournament appearances, and six bids to the National Invitation Tournament, including the 1996 NIT Championship. Barry Collier, who led Nebraska from 2000 to August 2006 and he previously had been Butlers head coach from 1989 to 2000. Nebraska hired Doc Sadler from UTEP as mens head coach following the departure of Collier. As part of the 2010 NCAA conference realignment, Nebraskas basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference during the 2011-12 season. Sadler was fired after the first year in the Big Ten and was replaced on March 24,2012 by Tim Miles from Colorado State, while the University of Nebraska has experienced varying amounts of success for their intercollegiate athletic programs, mens basketball has been an exception. A team from the Lincoln YMCA was the opponent, and Nebraska posted an 11-8 victory at Grant Memorial Hall, the same teams played in Grant Hall three weeks later with a similar result, as NU won 23-14. Nebraska had to rally in the second game. ’’ Such was the modest beginning of a program that has enjoyed its greatest success since 1980, Nebraska doubled its schedule in 1898, losing twice to the Lincoln YMCA and splitting two games with the Omaha YMCA. A 16-12 loss against the Omaha YMCA provided evidence as to why Nebraska finished 1-3 that season, according to The Hesperian account, “The great difficulty of the University team was mere recklessness. Our boys have been playing with an interpretation of the rules. The officials were strict and of course the resulting advantage was in favor of Omaha. ’’ Then as now, Nebraska played teams from other universities for the first time in 1899, winning two games against Nebraska Wesleyan and one against Doane en route to the unofficial state championship. The next season, Nebraska played an opponent for the first time, defeating the University of Kansas, 48-8. The 1900 Cornhuskers finished 5-0 and were ranked second nationally by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. The Kansas team was coached by Dr. Naismith, the Nebraska student yearbook, Sombrero, wrote, “A closely contested game was looked for
3.
Colorado State University
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Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, in the U. S. state of Colorado. The university is the land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. The current enrollment is approximately 32,236 students, including resident and non-resident instruction students, the university has approximately 1,540 faculty in eight colleges and 55 academic departments. Bachelors degrees are offered in 65 fields of study, with degrees in 55 fields. Colorado State confers doctoral degrees in 40 fields of study, in addition to a degree in veterinary medicine. In fiscal year 2012, CSU spent $375.9 million on research and development, ranking 60th in the nation overall, Colorado State University is a land-grant institution classified as a Carnegie Doctoral/RU/VH, Research Universities. CSU was founded as Colorado Agricultural College in 1870, six years before the Colorado Territory gained statehood and it was one of 68 land-grant colleges established under the Morrill Act of 1862. Doors opened to a class of 1 student in 1879. Arising from the Morrill Act, the act to create the university was signed by the Colorado Territory governor Edward M. McCook in 1870, however, during its first years the university existed only on paper. The first 30-acre parcel of land for the campus was deeded in 1871 by Robert Dazell, in 1872, the Larimer County Land Improvement Company contributed a second 80-acre parcel. The first $1000 to erect buildings was finally allocated by the legislature in 1874. The funds were not, however, and trustees were required to find a matching amount, among the institutions which donated matching funds was the local Grange, which was heavily involved in the early establishment of the university. After Colorado achieved statehood in 1876, the law establishing the college was required to be reauthorized. In 1877, the legislature created the eight-member State Board of Agriculture to govern the school. Early in the 21st century, the board was renamed the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System. Enrollment grew to 25 by 1880, during Colorado Agricultural Colleges first term in fall 1879, the school functioned more as a college-prep school than a college because of the lack of trained students. Consequently, the first course offerings were arithmetic, English, U. S. history, natural philosophy, horticulture, Students also labored on the college farm and attended daily chapel services. The spring term provided the first true college-level instruction, despite his accomplishments, Edwards resigned in spring 1882 because of conflicts with the State Board of Agriculture, a young faculty member, and with students
4.
University of Mary
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The University of Mary is a four-year Catholic university near Bismarck, North Dakota. The university is the largest degree-granting institution in Bismarck and it has campuses in Rome and Peru, and also operates academic programs at satellite locations in North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, and Arizona. It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College and it was recognized as a College of Distinction, the only such institution in North Dakota. Since the University of Marys beginnings as Mary College in the late 1950s, founded in 1959 by The Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery as a womens college, it became fully co-educational in the 1960s. It achieved university status — becoming the University of Mary — in 1986, the University of Mary is the only private Catholic university in North Dakota. It has been accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges, since its incorporation in 1959, the universitys enrollment has grown from 69 to more than 3,000. Its undergraduate programs have grown from nursing and education to 52 majors, in 1986, the university began offering masters degrees in nursing, management, and education. It has added programs in business administration, counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, strategic leadership, project management. In 2001, the University of Mary unveiled its vision as Americas Leadership University, in this role, the university is committed to providing leadership experiences for every student. In 2005, the degree in physical therapy was replaced by a Doctor of Physical Therapy — the universitys first doctorate. The first 26 candidates in this program received their PhDsin 2006, the University of Mary has expanded options in order to make education accessible to working adults and to support lifelong learning in the region and beyond. The University of Mary Worldwide offers accelerated undergraduate and graduate programs for the adult learner, in 2005, the University of Mary launched several of its bachelors and masters programs online. Today, students can earn graduate and undergraduate degrees online through U-Mary Worldwide, in 2006, U-Mary initiated the Gary Tharaldson School of Business. Named for Gary Tharaldson, a North Dakota hospitality entrepreneur and industry innovator, the new 29, 000-square-foot flagship facility that houses the Gary Tharaldson School opened in September 2008. From the fall of 2009 to the Spring of 2010, the University of Mary searched for a facility as the base for its Rome and it found one a ten-minute bus ride from the city center. The first students to study in this Rome program left the United States in the Fall of 2010, the Catholic Studies Program, an initiative of U-Mary President Monsignor James P. Shea, was also launched in the fall of 2010. On October 19,2010, the program was named in honor of Bishop Paul A. Zipfel, sixth bishop of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota. The Catholic Studies program is a new program to explore the Catholic Churchs contributions to and influence on human thought and culture, past
5.
Kohl Center
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The Kohl Center is an arena and athletic center at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States. The building, which opened in 1998, is the home of the mens basketball and ice hockey teams. It also housed the womens ice hockey team through 2012. Seating capacity is variable, as the center can be rearranged to accommodate a basketball court, the maximum capacity is 17,230 in its basketball configuration, and 15,359 for ice hockey. The center has three levels, with the floor holding about 7,500 people, and the two upper balconies about 4,500 each and it is the second largest indoor venue in Wisconsin and the largest outside Milwaukee. The arena is located on the southeast corner of the UW–Madison campus, at the intersection of West Dayton, the sporting arena is named after former United States Senator and Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl, who donated $25 million of his Kohls department/grocery store fortune to the building project. At the time it was the largest single donation in University of Wisconsin System history, because of the donors first name, it is sometimes locally referred to as the Herb Garden. Former Wisconsin Badgers basketball player Albert Nicholas and his wife donated $10 million toward the project, with the adjoining practice pavilion named the Nicholas-Johnson Pavilion, jack F. Kellner and his sons donated an additional $2.5 million to the project. Wisconsin-based Hammes Company developed the arena for UW–Madison in 1993, the Boldt Company was the projects general contractor. The arena has become difficult for opposing teams to play in, especially in mens basketball. Through the 2014–2015 season, the basketball team has achieved a record of 210-22 at the Kohl Center under Coach Bo Ryan. The Kohl Center boasts the nations highest attendance in mens and womens college hockey, prior to the Kohl Center, the basketball teams played at the Wisconsin Field House, while ice hockey was played at the Dane County Coliseum. The hockey teams still may play there if there is an event conflict, originally, the overhead scoreboard from the UW Field House was installed in the Kohl Center because the cost of a new scoreboard unit wasnt included in the figure for the new arena. The old scoreboard remained in the Kohl Center for seven years, and after the money was raised, at the same time a LED ribbon board was installed, which surrounds the arena below the second balcony, displaying advertising, messages, and scores. The design of the Kohl Center is modeled somewhat after that of the Field House with cantilevered balconies instead of a setback style and this was done to intimidate opponents and bring all fans close to the action. A bar and restaurant was added to the level in 2005. The area is for pre-game gatherings of boosters who have made donations to the athletic department, in 2006 a second student-athlete academic center was built on the lower level of the Kohl Center to provide student athletes easier access to academic services. Prior to the 2006 mens basketball season, the UW Athletic Department sold 48 courtside seats, the available seats sold out, and a waiting list was created for the sale of seats that become available in the future
6.
Mayville State University
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Mayville State University is a public institution of higher learning in Mayville, North Dakota, United States, part of the North Dakota University System. The university has an attendance of 449 full-time students, the school athletic teams are called the Comets. The president is Dr. Gary Hagen, founded as a normal school by provision of the North Dakota Constitution in 1889, Mayville State was granted 30,000 acres of land and organized by the first Legislative Assembly. Classes began in 1889, with funds for the current Old Main a building provided by the Second Legislative Assembly in early 1891, in 1926, the State Board of Higher Education authorized Mayville State to grant a Bachelor of Arts in Education. The Mayville Normal School thus became a college, providing general education. Successive additions strengthened the curriculum, and as enrollment grew, new buildings appeared, in 1948, the B. A. in Education became a B. S. in Education and the first non-teaching Bachelor of Arts was offered in 1961. In 1973 and 1982, the established programs in business administration. In the early 1980s, the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of General Studies became available, the present name, Mayville State University, was approved by the legislature in 1987. On April 9,2010, the university broke ground on the first state funded building in more than 40 years, agassiz Hall, the largest residence hall has been remodeled to provide suite- and apartment-style living accommodations for men and women. An addition to the science and library buildings is providing a new home for the Division of Education, Mayville State teams, nicknamed athletically as the Comets, are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, primarily competing as a member of the North Star Athletic Association. The Comets formerly competed in the now-defunct Dakota Athletic Conference, Mens sports include baseball, basketball and football, while womens sports include basketball, cheerleading, softball and volleyball. Mayville States softball team appeared in one Womens College World Series in 1976, the Mayville State University Comets finished runner-up at the NAIA Division II Mens Basketball National Tournament in 2007. This is the mens basketball team in North Dakota history to play in a national collegiate championship game. The Mayville State University Comets baseball program is coached by G. Scott Berry and he is the schools all-time wins leader and a 37-time DAC Coach of the Year. Mayville State University website Mayville State University athletics website
7.
Jim Phelan Award
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The Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding mens college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition. He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, general Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award recipients
8.
North Dakota State Bison men's basketball
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The North Dakota State Bison mens basketball team is a part of the athletic program at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota, U. S. They are members of the NCAA Division I and have part of The Summit League since May 2007. Home games are played at the Bison Sports Arena which is located on the NDSU campus in Fargo, the team shares a conference rival with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The Bison mens head coach is David Richman, prior to their transition to Division I, the Bison competed in Division II as a member of the North Central Conference. The Bison have appeared in three NCAA Division I Tournaments, from 2011–2015 the round of 64 was known as the Second Round, Round of 32 was Third Round The Bison appeared in eight NCAA Division II Tournaments. The Bison have appeared in two College Basketball Invitationals
9.
National Invitation Tournament
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The National Invitation Tournament is a mens college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City each March and April, over time it became eclipsed by the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament – known today informally as March Madness and The Big Dance. The NIT has since been regarded more as a tournament for teams that did not receive a berth in the NCAA tournament. A second, much more recent NIT tournament is played in November, formerly the Preseason NIT, it was founded in 1985. Like the postseason NIT, its final rounds are played at Madison Square Garden, both tournaments were operated by the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association until 2005, when they were purchased by the NCAA, and the MIBA disbanded. Unless otherwise qualified, the terms NIT or National Invitation Tournament refer to the tournament in both common and official use. The first NIT was won by the Temple University Owls over the Colorado Buffaloes and this became the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association in 1948. Originally the tournament invited a field of 6 teams, with all games played at Madison Square Garden in downtown Manhattan. The field was expanded to 8 teams in 1941,12 in 1949,14 in 1965,16 in 1968,24 in 1979,32 in 1980, in 2007, the tournament reverted to the current 32-team format. Some conferences, such as the Southeastern Conference, were racially segregated, from its onset and at least into the mid-1950s, the NIT was regarded as the most prestigious showcase for college basketball. The winner of the National Invitation Tournament was regarded as more of a national champion than the actual, titular, national champion, several teams played in both the NIT and NCAA tournaments in the same year, beginning with Colorado and Duquesne in 1940. Colorado won the NIT in 1940 but subsequently finished fourth in the NCAA West Region, in 1949, some Kentucky players were bribed by gamblers to lose their first round game in the NIT. This same Kentucky team went on to win the NCAA, the champions of both the NCAA and NIT tournaments played each other for a few years during World War II. From 1943 to 1945, the American Red Cross sponsored a charity game between each years tournament champions to raise money for the war effort. The series was described by Ray Meyer as not just benefit games, the NCAA champion prevailed in all three games. The Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected the NIT champion as its champion for 1938. In 1943 the NCAA tournament moved to share Madison Square Garden with the NIT in an effort to increase the credibility of the NCAA Tournament. In 1945, The New York Times indicated that many teams could get bids to enter either tournament, the team played in the NIT instead, which it won
10.
Utah State Aggies men's basketball
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The Utah State Aggies are a Division I mens college basketball team that plays in the Mountain West Conference, representing Utah State University. In the 17 years that former coach Stew Morrill was at the helm, Utah State had the 4th highest winning percentage in the nation at home, behind only Duke, Kansas, and Gonzaga. As of the end of the 2010–2011 season, the Aggies have a record of 1. The first basketball team on Utah States campus was organized in 1902, a mens team was organized in 1904, at which point the womens club fell into obscurity. The Aggies enjoyed mixed success early in their history, notching sporadic NCAA tournament appearances, perhaps the most notable event in Utah State basketball history occurred on February 8,1965, with the tragic death of Wayne Estes. Estes was a 66 forward for the Aggies, and was the second leading scorer in 1965, behind only Rick Barry. He had just amassed 2,000 career points with a 48-point showing in a victory over the University of Denver. While crossing the street, Estes accidentally clipped a power line with his head and was electrocuted. The Los Angeles Lakers had planned on drafting him in the 1st round of the NBA Draft, following Estess death, he was posthumously awarded 1st team All-American honors. All the while, it remained the most resilient and popular sport at USU, USU reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1962, and the Elite 8 in 1970. The Aggies havent performed well in the postseason recently, though their success at the regional level and they enjoy a particularly strong home-court advantage at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, where they are 159-12 in the Morrill era. The Aggies have a difficult time scheduling high-profile opponents, which emerge from the Smith Spectrum victorious. Although that home court has proved not so dominate in the past three years, due to the mid-major conference and relatively weak schedule that USU plays each year, the Aggies are often left out of the national spotlight. That being said, their fame continues to grow and spread throughout the country, aided by ESPN appearances, often-epic win streaks, the boisterous Aggie faithful, during the 2008-09 season, USU led the nation in field goal percentage with 49. 8%. In addition, they were 2nd in win/loss percentage and 5th in assist-to-turnover ratio, thus far in 2009-10, the Aggies lead the nation in 3-point percentage with an incredible 42. 5%. The Aggies have spent time in the rankings in two of the last six seasons, reaching as high as #19 in the Coaches Poll in 2003-04. During the 2009-2010, the Aggies reached as high as #26, one out of the actual rankings. Utah State has also won the Old Oquirrh Bucket nine times, the Bucket is the award given each year to the best college basketball team in Utah, based on records against in-state opponents
11.
Bradley Braves men's basketball
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The Bradley Braves mens basketball team represents Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, United States, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference, the team last played in the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Tournament in 2006, reaching the Sweet Sixteen. The Braves are currently coached by Brian Wardle, Bradley has also appeared in the National Invitation Tournament 21 times, have an all-time NIT record of 26–18, with four titles. Until the introduction of the Vegas 16 Tournament in 2016, the program held the distinction of being invited to the offering of every national postseason tournament. The Bradley Braves mens basketball plays their home games at Carver Arena. The Braves have appeared in 8 NCAA Tournaments and have advanced to two final fours and two championship games. The Braves have appeared in 21 National Invitation Tournaments and are four-time champions, the Braves have participated in one College Basketball Invitational in 2008 where they advanced to the 3–game series final. The Braves have participated in two CollegeInsider. com Postseason Tournaments, in 2009 where they advanced to the championship game. Bradley participated in the 1974 National Commissioners Invitational Tournament where they advanced to the semifinals, the Braves appeared in, and hosted, the only National Campus Basketball Tournament. The I-74 Rivalry is a rivalry game between the Illinois State and Bradley University
