More College Basketball News
Hubert Davis Thanks His “Non-Conference” Lucky Stars Following UNC’s Brave ACC Revival
UNC have turned around their fortunes for the better, but what does coach Hubert Davis feel about it? Read to see more.
UNC’s ACC Turnaround Fails to Ease Hubert Davis’s Distress Over Major Tactical Lapse
Hubert Davis is now sitting on three straight wins after the Cardinals-loss. But what is his team still missing? Read more here
Cooper Flagg’s 42-Point Masterclass Falls Short as Bruce Pearl’s All-American Standout Poised for Major Recognition
Cooper Flagg might be dominating the ACC right now but Bruce Pearl's superstar is still the favorite to win one huge honor
What Happened to Hannah Hidalgo? Breaking Down Notre Dame’s Shocking Lineup Change
One of the best players of Notre Dame, Hannah Hidalgo is out of the starting lineup? What's the reason? Read to learn more about it.
No Zach Edey, No Problem as Purdue’s Go-To Guy Makes Matt Painter Proud in Emphatic Big 10 Statement
Purdue does the impossible? Read to see how the Boilermakers fared in their game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Tennessee’s Heroic SEC Comeback Triggers Rick Barnes’s Bold Call Out
Rick Barnes called someone out in the last game against Texas. Who was he mad at and what are people saying about the Tennessee comeback?
“Is This Real”: Kansas Turning the Big 12 Tables Leaves the NCAA World Starstruck to Bill Self’s Jaw-Dropping Strategic Shift
Kansas continued their hot streak on Saturday, but how are the Jayhawks winning games? Read to see what experts say.
Who Is Curtis Williams Jr? Everything You Need to Know About Georgetown’s 6′ 6″ Guard
Curtis Williams Jr. showed growth in Georgetown's loss to UConn, proving his potential as a key player. Here's what you need to know.
UConn Reclaiming the Big East Reins Highlights Major Tactical Test for Dan Hurley
After that close Villanova loss, UConn is back with another win against Georgetown. But there is still something Dan Hurley is advised to do.
“No Way”: John Calipari Turning a Blind Eye to Arkansas’ Jaw-Dropping Blunder After Painful SEC Setback
John Calipari left astonished after finding out about the jaw dropping stat in the postgame conference. What was it about?
Auburn’s SEC Supremacy Clouded by Distressing Update Around Bruce Pearl’s NPOY Candidate
Bruce Pearl has so far seen an upwards road to the SEC tournament but has he run out of luck after the Gamecocks game? Read more
Arkansas Courting an NCAA Disaster Amid Crumbling Faith Around John Calipari’s Leadership
Another day, another round of criticism for John Calipari and his coaching as the Arkansas Razorbacks lose yet another game.
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.
