More College Basketball News
LeBron James, Magic Johnson and NBA World Are Blown Away After Thunderous Posterizer During Arkansas vs SD State
LeBron James, Magic Johnsons, and the NBA community couldn't help but watch Trevon Brazile's poster dunk on repeat. Read more.
“20 Years!!.. Felt Great to Be Back Home”: 38-Year-Old Ex-Lakers and Knicks Star Gets Emotional on Landmark Homecoming News
NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony experienced an emotional reunion. But he might be visiting his roots more often than not in the coming years.
Michael Jordan Once Helped His Coach Become $10,000 Richer by Going Against His Own Wishes
Before lacing up Nikes and signature shoes, Michael Jordan wore converse for three years in college to help out his coach Dean Smith.
“Soft Spoken” Michael Jordan Had a Sandwich Named After Him Even Before Featuring in the NBA
Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan once had a sandwich named after him during his playing days in college with North Carolina.
“I Was Supposed to Be Somebody I Am Not”: Son Jeffrey Once Revealed How People Treated Him Under the Shadow of Father Michael Jordan
Michael Jordon's eldest son, Jefferey Jordan addressed having high expectations on his back since his early days for being the son of an all-time great.
Michael Jordan, Who Has a Sandwich Named After Him at UNC, Supported Their Big Rivals Growing Up: “Really Liked Them”
Chicago Bulls Legend Michael Jordan had a historic career at the University of North Carolina, but he supported one of the biggest rivals when he was a kid.
Michael Jordan Once Admitted to Not Being Good Enough Until a Freak Occurrence in High School: “I Really Didn’t Develop My Abilities”
Over six-feet-five-inch tall NBA legend Michael Jordan opened up about the struggles he had to face due to his height when he was in high school.
Michael Jordan Was Once Honored to Follow the Footsteps of Legends Like Dean Smith and Bob McAdoo in a Landmark Achievement
NBA all-time great Michael Jordan led the University of North Carolina to a national title in 1982 and became a school legend. Read more.
Stephen Curry Once Left His Team Hanging Mid-Game By ‘Standing in the Corner’ And Not Playing
When he was in college at Davidson, Stephen Curry once just stood in the corner during a game and his team still won by 30 points.
Michael Jordan Torched Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler Even Before Making It to the NBA in Rare Video
Even before he made it into the NBA, Michael Jordan once torched future Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon in college.
40-Year-Old Game Worn Shoes of Michael Jordan Could Fetch Carolina Basketball Over $1 Million
A pair of shoes worn and signed by NBA legend Michael Jordan during his UNC college days is up for auction after 40 years. Read more.
“If He Continues to Work Hard, He’ll Be Ok”: Shaquille O’Neal Gives His Stamp of Approval to 22 Year Old Son Who Went Against His Wishes to Join the NBA
Shaquille O'Neal reveals his thoughts on his son, Shareef after the 22-year-old's recent six-figure contract with G-League Ignite.
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.
