More College Basketball News
Dropping Career High Performance, Tennessee’s Superstar Dalton Knecht Reflects on His Hot Streak
Tennessee's dominant shooting guard Dalton Knecht opens up about the support and contributions of his team behind his success.
Angel Reese’s LSU Spoils Alabama’s Historic Night in Jaw-Dropping Fightback
Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow finished with a double-double as defending champs LSU upsets a record-breaking crowd at Alabama.
Despite Ugly Collision Leading to Neck Injury, Paige Bueckers’ Commitment Gets Lauded by UConn Coach
Paige Bueckers suffered a hard collision during a dominant display of game as she had hurried back to locker room and created a concern.
3 NCAA Coaches Who Had a Difficult Season
Three NCAA coaches who had a difficult season this year and where they lacked in terms of team in this season.
Can Paige Bueckers Drag Injury-ridden UConn Out of the Pit?
UConn's inspiring journey as they aim to lift an injury-ridden season from the depths with Paige Bueckers' resilience and skill.
With Donovan Clingan Making a Comeback, Can the UConn Win Back to Back Titles?
Can the University of Connecticut Huskies star Donovan Clingan's comeback propel his team to back to back titles?
Miami Hurricanes vs NC State Wolfpack Match Preview ”“ Players to Watch, Head to Head, and Prediction
NC State takes a trip to Miami to lock horns with the Hurricanes in an exciting ACC contest. Who has the edge over the other?
With a Big Win Against the Texas Techs, Does the Houston Cougars Has What It Takes To Lift the Big 12?
The Houston Cougars have bounced back after their brief losing streak against the Texas Techs. What makes them worthy of winning the Big 12?
LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Match Preview ”“ Injury Report, Starting Lineup, and Prediction
Dive into our match preview on the intense showdown between the LSU Tigers & the Alabama Crimson Tide, their latest injuries, and more.
Continuing Dayton’s 11-Game Winning Streak, Know All About 21YO Forward DaRon Holmes II
Dive into the success story of 21-year-old forward DaRon Holmes II as he plays a pivotal role in extending Dayton's impressive 11-game winning streak.
LeBron James Left Dumbfounded After Bronny Suffers Referee’s Peculiar Decision
Dive into the unexpected as LeBron James expresses bewilderment following a peculiar referee decision affecting his son, Bronny.
Bronny James’ Shaky College Career – A Worry For 19YO or Just a Phase before Sparkling Future?
With his poor performances this season, is it Bronny James end or is this just a beginning of an exciting career that lies ahead?
About College Basketball
College Basketball (NCAA): Latest News, Rumors, Schedule, Scores & More
College basketball is the primary path to the NBA for several talented athletes. Upon completing high school, budding basketball players join a university in hopes of shaping their careers professionally.
College basketball is currently governed by a list of collegiate athletic bodies that include National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and a few other organizations.
What does NCAA stand for?
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is one of the primary organizations that govern college athletics for over 1,200 institutions across the United States and Canada.
NCAA stands as an organizer of college tournaments, which helps various students register their talent on a grand stage. Due to the overwhelming number of institutions emerging with respect to basketball and other major sports, the NCAA adopted the three-division structure in 1973.
Thus, there are Divisions I, II, and III that subdivide NCAA College Basketball teams. Moreover, the most enthralling tournament when it comes to college basketball is the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament
The NCAA’s Division I Men’s Basketball tournament was founded in 1939 by Ohio State coach Harold Olsen. The tournament is often played during March and hence, it has been branded “March Madness,” a yearly tournament that decides the national college champion!
The single-elimination tournament features 68 of the best college basketball teams from the 32 conferences that comprise NCAA’s Division I. Winners from each conference receive an automatic bid for the tournament, while the other 36 teams are awarded “at-large berths.”
The venues are pre-determined and the competing teams are seeded and split into four regions and organized into a single-elimination bracket. The University of North Carolina has the honor of receiving the most #1 seeds in the tournament with 17 to date.
As the games commence, teams get filtered, which is then followed by “Sweet Sixteen,” “Elite Eight,” and the coveted “Final Four.”
It is a well-structured tournament, as the Final Four teams will each represent one region (East, South, Midwest, and West) to determine the national champion.
Likewise, there is a similar tournament held for women with almost the same structure: 64 teams participate and a special committee will decide the participants for each edition.
Who has the most NCAA Division I titles?
Winning the national title is a daunting task. 64 teams enter the tournament with the same goal in mind, but only one can be crowned champion towards the end. With that said, the UCLA Bruins Men’s Basketball Team has won 11 national titles to date, the most by any school.
UCLA’s most recent victory came in 1995 when the Bruins beat Arkansas Razorbacks. Furthermore, here is a list of the Top 5 teams with the most NCAA Division I championships in history:
School | Titles | Years |
UCLA | 11 | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012 |
North Carolina | 6 | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
| Duke | 5 | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
Indiana | 5 | 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 |
When does the 2020-21 men’s college basketball season start?
The initial dates for the season had to be pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several tournaments that are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks, tentatively. The Division I men’s basketball tournament is scheduled to begin on November 25.
The conferences that comprise the governing bodies organize various tournaments, and the schedules are dropping in with regard to the restrictions that are in place. More information can be found on the NCAA website.
The organization has released the schedule for the highly anticipated “March Madness,” that is set to take place in 2021.
ROUND | DATES |
Selection Sunday | March 14 |
| First Four | March 16-17 |
First Round | March 18-19 |
| Second Round | March 20-21 |
Sweet 16 | March 25-26 |
| Elite Eight | March 27-28 |
Final Four | April 3 |
| National Championship | April 5 |
How college basketball stands out from the NBA
A lot of the aspects remain the same when comparing college basketball and the NBA. However, minor differences set these two leagues apart, which might affect the flow when watching an NBA game versus an NCAA game.
The first difference is that NBA games are played under four quarters of 12 minutes each. But college basketball is just two halves, and each half is 20 minutes long. This reduces the game time by a small margin, but athletes have to endure a longer half.
Moreover, there is also a major difference in the shot clock. The modern shot clock in the NBA is 24 seconds, while the NCAA allows 30 seconds for men’s basketball.
The distance from the three-point line to the backboard differs in the NBA and college basketball as well. The NBA’s three-point line traditionally measures 23 feet 9 inches at the top of the circle and 22 feet in the corners. However, this is not the case when it comes to the NCAA.
Starting from the 2019/20 season, NCAA adopted FIBA’s three-point line measurements which stand at 22 feet, 1¾ inches at the top of the circle, and 21 feet 8 inches at the corners. Besides these, there is a list of rules that differ between the NBA and NCAA. Click here to learn more.
