More College Basketball news

NCAA’s Big-time Basketball Rivalries That Still Rush Adrenaline

From historic clashes to modern-day showdowns, explore the intensity of NCAA basketball with a deep dive into the top rivalries of college basketball.

NCAA Basketball: North Carolina at Kentucky

WATCH: JuJu Watkins’ Family Fumes as USC Star Bears a Hit During On-Court Tussle

Despite the triumph, JuJu Watkins' performance against Penn State was not her normal banger, as she received a heavy knock in a scuffle.

JuJu Watkins

“Oh! Wow”: USC’s JuJu Watkins Gets Shocked at Her Own Prowess Despite Dropping Bombshell Double-Double

The USC Trojans star player JuJu Watkins gets shocked at her own prowess as she helps her team secure a win after dropping 31 points.

juju watkins 4

Penny Hardaway Children: Mentoring His Next Generation, Meet Sons Jayden Hardaway, Ashton Hardaway

Take a look at the journey of Jayden and Ashton Hardaway as they play under the guidance of their father Penny Hardaway.

Eclipsing Sons Jayden and Ashton, Penny Hardaway Offers David Jones the ‘Throne’ at Memphis

Penny Hardaway surprised everyone by applauding David Jones while dismissing his sons Ashton and Jayden despite their good performance.

No-Show at Cayman Islands, LSU’s Angel Reese “Gives Back” With Selfless Hands on Thanksgiving Day

Despite her tumbling absence in the Cayman Islands, Ange Reese was engaged on Thanksgiving Day, expressing her gratitude.

USC Freshman JuJu Watkins’ Monstrosity Might Wipe Off Caitlin Clark’s College Basketball Glory

Keep an eye on USC freshman JuJu Watkins as her on-court prowess threatens to overshadow Caitlin Clark's college basketball dominance.

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Averaging a Double-Double, a Detailed Look Into How Zach Edey Propelled His Team to the Maui Invitational Title

An in-depth look into how the Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey helped his team win their first Maui Invitational title

zach edey

Prayers Up For Azzi Fudd: Angel Reese and WBB World Saddened By UConn Star’s Shocking Update

Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese share heartwarming messages for Azzi Fudd following her exit from the tournament due to her injury.

azzi fudd 1

What Happened to UConn’s Azzi Fudd? Can Stephen Curry’s ‘Favorite’ Return to College Basketball?

One of the NCAA's best prospects Azzi Fudd is out of action yet again as her latest injury forces her to miss the entire 2023-24 season.

azzi fudd 1

Distressed Angel Reese Gets Emotional As Adorable Fan Touches LSU Star’s Wounds Amidst Kim Mulkey’s Restraint

After being out of action for two consecutive games, Angel Reese receives a heart-warming gesture from one of her die-hard fans.

When Were the Most Fouls Ever Called In a College Basketball Game? A Closer Look Into NCAA’s Officiating Troubles

While there have been numerous records for most points or most blocks, there also lies a record for most fouls ever called in a NCAA basketball game.

NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Arizona State at UCLA Mar 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard

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

111964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995
Kentucky8

1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012

North Carolina

61957, 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