The West Virginia Mountaineers Men's Basketball Team

The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team has some great stories and traditions that have highlighted their past. They currently are a division one basketball team. They play in a conference called the Big East Conference. The team is currently coached by Bob Huggins. Huggins has been leading the gold and blue team for three years up to this point.
In the past few years the team has showed that they are one of the top teams in all of the NCAA. Although many people have noted that they have become one of the top teams recently, they did have a winning tradition in years past as well.
The first bit of major success that the team ever saw came in 1942. Most people that follow college basketball see the NCAA Tournament as the biggest tournament available to participate in throughout all of college basketball. Although that is the case today, it was not always the case. In the early years of college basketball the biggest tournament to play in was the NIT. The NIT is more of a tournament filled with teams that did not make the NCAA Tournament today, but in 1942 only the top teams in the nations would be invited to take part in that tournament. The played well through that prestigious tournament and made their way all the way to the finals of the tournament before they fell.
Although that was the first bit of success that they team had on a large scale, that trip to the NIT Final is often overlooked. The team eventually became much more famous through players such as Jerry West and Rod Hundley.
Rod Hundley went to the school and really started to turn things around. He was the star player that helped the team jump up into the top 25 of the NCAA rankings on a yearly basis while he was there. He was eventually a good enough player to take his skills to the NBA. After he left he was remembered for his legacy that he had established in West Virginia.
The team was of course sad to see the departure of Hundley, but they got something even better. One of the most famous basketball players of all time joined the squad to take over the reins. Jerry West became the new star guard to lead the squad. Although he was a guard he was a presence in the inside and outside of the court during his time at West Virginia. It was not uncommon for West to get more than 10 rebounds even as a point guard.
While West was on the team they tallied amazing records such as their 26-2 record that was achieved in his rookie season. He went on to lead the team to a number one ranking during his career at West Virginia. Eventually he led the team the furthest into the NCAA Tournament that they had ever been. They went all the way to the final of the tournament before taking on California. The finals game was a good one, but eventually the California team was able to beat the West Virginia squad by one point.

History Of The Washington Huskies

The Washington Huskies field a basketball team that plays at the Division 1 level of college basketball. The team plays in the Pac-10 conference. Over the years the team has managed to field teams that have been solid, but they have never been quite what was hoped for by the fans.
The team has never won a National Championship in the history of the school. They have had success in the NCAA Tournament at times, but they have never been able to go past the Final Four portion of the NCAA Tournament.
Despite the fact that the team has never found the success on a national level that they hoped for, they have been a successful school. They have won many, many conference championships over the years to show their success.
The success really started in the 1920's for the team. The team was easily the most dominant of all of the teams in their conference in that decade and was able to bring him the conference championship 4 times in that span.
That start in the 20's really paved the way for even more success in the 30's. The team started off the 30's with a stretch of three straight conference championships from 1930-1932. Those three straight conference championships contributed to the 6 total championships that they had over that decade. That decade may have been the most successful decade for the team in their history.
Although people were winning conference and national championships before the NCAA Tournament came around, they weren't as meaningful. The NCAA Tournament brings a certain excitement to basketball that was never found before it was created. The Huskies got their first taste of that excitement in the 1940's.
In 1943 the team won the conference championship and managed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. This was the first of 15 appearances that the school has made in the tournament over the years. Unfortunately the team was not able to advance to the 2nd round of the tournament.
The 1950s brought tremendous success for the team. In 1951 and 1953 the team managed to qualify for the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. In 1953 the team even managed to go all the way to the final four before they fell.
In 1984 the team found a ton of excitement in the tournament. The team had won the conference championship and went into the tournament with some momentum. They managed to advance not only past their first opponent, but their second as well. This left the team in the Sweet 16 for the first time in the history of the school.

North Carolina Tar Heels Men's Basketball

The North Carolina Tar Heels are one of the most storied teams in the history of Men's Basketball at the collegiate level. The team has found success in several decades in a league that features so many teams that it is very difficult to stay near the top of the game.
The team found success as early as the 1920's. The 1920's included 2 conference championships. They even managed to become National Champions in 1924. This was before the era of the NCAA tournament though and is often forgotten. The team continued to win several conference championships each decade through the 1940's. The 1950's brought the first bit of fame to the Tar Heels.
In the 1950s the team joined the Atlantic Coast Conference. The team began to be led by Frank McGuire and they found their first success on the big stage in 1957. In 1957 the team made it all the way to the Finals of the NCAA Tournament. In the finals they squared off against Wilt Chamberlain and the Kansas City Jayhawks. The game instantly became a classic and was one for the ages. The game went to triple overtime before being decided. In the end the Tar Heels found themselves as National Champions for the first time in the history after the beginning of the NCAA Tournament.
Frank McGuire started things off for the Tar Heels, but Dean Smith is definitely the figurehead of the University. Dean Smith began coaching the team in 1961 and brought huge success within the decade. This success includes three consecutive Final Four appearances in the 1960s from 1967-1969. This is impressive, but they were not stopped at that point in 1968. They managed to advance to the championship game in 1968 before falling.
The 1970s brought two more final four experiences, including another year as runner-up to the champions, but Dean Smith still had not led them to a championship. The 1980's served as a launching board to the next level.
In the 1980s the Tar Heels made the Elite 8 six times in the 1980s and made it to the Final Four twice. 1981 brought another runner-up finish for the Tar Heels as they lost again in the Championship game. In 1982 the Tar Heels managed to crack the seal.
In 1982 the Tar Heels went on to win the National Championship, the first for Dean Smith. This was the 2nd NCAA Tournament championship for the University. After 1982 the University started another championship drought that lasted more than a decade.
The 1990s were another successful decade for the Tar Heels. They advanced to the final four 5 times in the 1990s. In 1993 the team managed to win the National Championship again, the 2nd and last championship for Dean Smith as coach of the Tar Heels. Dean Smith retired as the coach with the most wins in the history of NCAA Division I Men's basketball.After Dean Smith the team struggled to find consistency with a coach. The university experimented with two coaches, Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty, but neither coach managed to stick around for more than a couple of years.

The Fantasy Basketball League

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men's basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America (twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada). It is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. If you've never played fantasy basketball before and aren't really sure what you're getting into, let me break down the basics for you. In most fantasy leagues, you will choose a fantasy roster either by a draft or by buying players. Whatever kind of league you play, you won't always be able to get all the players you want as you are restricted by other teams drafting players you want or by a salary cap. Don't get worried if you're roster isn't perfect as you can always make changes during the season. The NBA is now regarded as the premier basketball league in the United States, and is likewise well-known throughout the world.

Once the season starts, you'll start earning points based on how well you're players perform. Each league has a scoring system which awards points to players for different statistical categories, resulting in a total score. Then, your player scores will be added up to give you a team score. This can be done on a daily, weekly, or some other schedule depending on the league. Basically, you want to get as many points as possible by having the best performing roster! In some leagues, the highest score is the winner, but in others a head-to-head format is used each day or week and you accumulate wins and losses. Now, I am not saying that your team needs to go out and practice 4 hours a day, but one good practice running a simple play against both a man and a zone D will really help your team succeed.  So instead of guys just running around and hoping to get open, they will be able to find seams in the D or create openings for their teammates and the results will be exponential.

Most recreational basketball teams don't have any set offensive plays, and those that do generally played together in high school and are just running through the plays they know.  The latter folks are fine, it is the former that should probably get together outside of a game day to run through some plays. If there is someone on your team who played any organized ball, have them teach you one easy man offensive scheme and one easy zone offensive scheme.  If there is nobody on your team who played organized ball, or if no one can remember plays, then You Tube is a great source for finding short demonstration of plays. Now, with the immense popularity of the NBA and its superstars, many students are looking to get noticed in tryouts, to play in college teams and even perhaps in the NBA. High school students who are talented in the game have a chance at furthering their education by participating in athletic scholarships, where, in exchange for playing in college teams, they get an academic scholarship and other financial help during their stay in that particular school.

Women's College Basketball Games

The very first women's college basketball game took place at Smith College for girls in 1893 where the freshman played against the sophomores. Unlike women's college basketball games today, the game actually took place behind locked doors and men were prohibited from watching. It is well known that basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Nesmith, but what is not so well known is the history of women's basketball. The inaugural women's college basketball session was actually part of a physical education class at Smith College for girls in Conneticut. One of the most interesting aspects of the early women's college basketball games is that the basket was sewn shut so that the umpire had to remove the ball from it every time it was put through the hoop.

There were still 9 players on each women's college basketball team in this inter-college game but instead of keeping the original rule where a player could only hold the ball for 3 seconds and must dribble it 3 times before passing this was changed so that a player could not run more than 5 feet before having to pass the ball. Once again, however, as with the first women's college basketball game, men were not allowed to watch the game. Berenson eliminated physical contact as much as possible to make the sport of women's basketball socially acceptable and to ease the mind of "then" society's attitudes and thoughts toward female sports, when at the time gymnastics was the leader in physical fitness for women. Berenson also thought of physical contact as insulting, which is one of the main reasons she wanted to change Naismith's original rules.

If you went to a women's basketball game and there were wind-mill, 360, and alley-oop type dunks happening within the game on the regular. How would you feel about women's basketball then? How would you perceive these women now? Would this make you withdraw or enhance your support? Would you respect these women and the game more if this were reality? Would you pay to see this? Ponder this. Would it matter to you if these same women wore high-heels or sneakers off the court? Would or would it not matter to you, if these women's physiques were so cut and well-defined that they put most average and healthy men physiques to shame? From my 16 years of experience in women's basketball, I've noticed that not only female basketball athletes, but the majority of female athletes, are judged first on looks alone before their athletic ability is even recognized.

What Made Michael Jordan So Great ?

Jordan was born in 1963 in Brooklyn, the 4th of five siblings. It was in that spring the family moved to Wilmington, NC. Michael played junior varsity ball as a sophomore in high school. He played varsity from then on, winning a scholarship to North Carolina after stellar senior year play. Michael ranks way up there with all the greats of American sports legend. The Chicago Bulls guard had a rare gift, the ability to transcend his sport. It was and is his talent, character and great class on and off the court that make him so beloved by so many.Few have had as much fame as he during their active sports career. One thinks of the Bambino, Ruth and Gretzky and Ali and more recently Tiger. He did not give up even when he was deemed too short in Laney High. As a result, he would use this event as energy for him to do things that would only improve his current situation. He would practice drills every morning and more just to keep playing. At one point in North Carolina, he was able to run the 40 yard sprint at the same pace as his teammate Buzz. To everyone's surprise, he was able to destroy Buzz the following season because of his will to be the best even in things that were not as important.

As many of us know, to this day, many people consider him to be one of the best basketball players of all time. He is a global icon and even people who know nothing about the sport, know his name. Does Michael Jordan play more than other basketball players, is he more talented, or is he lucky? Kid Michael Jordan have a great coach, did he receive help from the day he started to play? These are only some of the guesses that can be made when discussing his greatness. Like a regular kid in love of sports, Jordan would play not only basketball but football, baseball, etc. He did practice a lot but so did many other athletes who only dream of making it where he has been. Jordan combined skill, effort and drive. He also was committed to a standard that few will every rival. He was so focused on one particular thing and was able to put forth. To him, basketball was his only life and he was going to die for it. When he was unable to prove anything more with the Bulls, he retired because his goal was accomplished.

This is one sport that both men and women can enjoy. Many basketball fans spend money to watch their favorite sports team play live while some play basketball themselves. Posters and pictures of great basketball players like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are usually found in a basketball fan's bedroom or locker. People who play and also watch basketball know that this game is both enjoyable and exciting. Basketball can be fun in many different ways. You can check out the following information to understand why many people find this sport fun and exciting. Every minute of a basketball game is filled with action. You will never get bored watching the game by yourself, with friends, live, or on TV. Basketball players perform some fancy movements like ball dribbling or slam dunk. These things make the game exciting to watch and play.

Basketball Star - Yao Ming

July 20, 2011 14:00 pm, Yao Ming and his team held a press conference in Shanghai, announced himself officially retired, ending 16-year professional basketball career, and in the conference process due to emotional and shed tears. Since Yao went down, the Rockets have won five straight games. A perfect span in which they have beaten two sub-par teams (Grizzlies, Pacers), one reasonably good team (Wizards), and two very good, talented teams teams (Nuggets, Mavericks). So, it seems as if having their most reliable player has not affected the Rockets in a bad way. Rather, Yao being sidelined looks to have galvanized Houston.

Tracy McGrady is a superstar and when healthy is one of the best players in the league. He is going to get his points with or without Yao Ming. But, the rest of the team is a different story. When Yao and McGrady are in the game, the rest of the team is reduced to mere role players, giving an extra little something to get Houston over the hump. No one player does anything out of the ordinary. However, since Yao went down, Tracy McGrady has had to rely on the rest of the team to continue the insane hot streak the Rockets are currently riding. Rafer Alston is scoring like primetime player. Shane Battier, aside from his usual selfless play and reliable defense, has also started putting up big scoring numbers. Luis Scola is filling the void in the paint beautifully. Yao Ming in the 1997-98 CBA season officially set foot on the track to help the Shanghai team for three consecutive years starting from the 99-00 season, reached the final of the CBA, and in 2002 defeated The Team won the championship. Yao Ming in the CBA league record left a lot of brilliant, for example, in the finals once during the 21-21, have four games in a row sent a total of 40 blocks, and so on.

Houston Rocket's Yao Ming's career may be over due to a non-healing foot fracture. He was sidelined during the playoffs on May 8th with a hairline fracture of his navicular. As of today, this has not healed properly. The nature of his non-union and his prognosis is being kept quiet by the team physicians, but it is evident that there is a problem. Most stress fractures heal completely in 6 to 8 weeks. Many of these fractures are actually missed due to lack of specific x-ray findings. Many fractures are actually misdiagnosed for months. Plain film x-rays are often read as normal so the fracture is missed until symptoms increase. Early symptoms can be diffuse and non-specific so the index of suspicion is also low. Abnormal biomechanics of the foot often are one of the causes of these fractures, so biomechanical control is crucial to distribute the abnormal stress so an athlete can return to sports and have a lower risk of recurrence.

Basketball Uniform Is A Very Simple Ensemble

A basketball uniform is a very simple ensemble, at least in its basic composition. It consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey, both of which are usually made of nylon or some other synthetic material. Players also wear socks and sneakers; these are not always technically a part of the uniform, but they can be. The University of Southern California basketball team members, for example, all have red shoes to match their uniforms. The jersey and shorts are unique to the team, utilizing both colors and designs to create a signature look. A basketball uniform lets the players identify their team mates. This is the purpose of a uniform. The people in the stands can tell which team is which by the different colors of the clothes the players are wearing. The wearing of a basketball uniform makes the player feel like part of the the team. It also brings the players as a whole to be seen as one.

People always comment about how skirt hems go up and down, how waistbands rise and fall; but few people seem to notice the amazing regularity with which basketball uniforms undergo change to accommodate the accepted fashion trends. If people are wearing tight clothes, basketball uniforms become formfitting. If baggy is in, basketball shorts reach to the players' knees. I can think of no other sport in which the uniform makes such a fashion statement and moves so much with the clothing trends of the era. Now that you can tell which team they are on, the next thing is to see what player is who. This is done by putting a different number on each players uniform and adding their name to the back of it to. The team you play for may change the uniform from one year to the next. This will take away some of the boredom with the same old thing all the time. There are usually two different color basketball uniforms per team. It consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey, both of which are usually made of nylon or some other synthetic material. Players also wear socks and sneakers; these are not always technically a part of the uniform, but they can be. The University of Southern California basketball team members, for example, all have red shoes to match their uniforms. The jersey and shorts are unique to the team, utilizing both colors and designs to create a signature look. Players' numbers are emblazoned on the backs and fronts of the jerseys.

One will wear a mostly white one while the other team will wear a more colored one. Basketball players will sweat a whole lot. So there attire will have to be comfortable for them as they are sweating. The clothing will have to breath and take the sweat away from their body. This will also have a cooling effect on the player. Most uniforms are made from a synthetic material. The look of the clothing can have sleeves or be sleeveless. It can have a round neck or a v shaped neck. Their shirts can be solid fabric or part mesh. The mesh allows airflow to keep the player cooler. As a result, it is much easier for basketball uniforms to reflect the fashion trends of any given era. When basketball was first established, circa 1890, very few clothing existed that was specifically designed for physical activity. Hence, many players simply wore the pants and shirts they used in everyday life. It was not until the 1920s that the essence of the basketball uniform was established. Photos from this era show young men in shorts that come to their mid-thighs and formfitting sleeveless jerseys.