College Basketball

 
 

Hoop Hysteria: The College Basketball Trivia Quiz Book by Brent Flanders Paperback from Addax

When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball by Seth Davis Hardcover from Times Books Media Published: 2009- The dramatic story of how two legendary players burst on the scene in an NCAA championship that gave birth to modern basketball Thirty years ago, college basketball was not the sport we know today. Few games were televised nationally and the NCAA tournament had just expanded from thirty-two to forty teams. Into this world came two exceptional players: Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird. Though they played each other only once, in the 1979 NCAA finals, that meeting launched an epic rivalry, transformed the NCAA tournament into the multibillion-dollar event it is today, and laid the groundwork for the resurgence of the NBA. In When March Went Mad, Seth Davis recounts the dramatic story of the season leading up to that game, as Johnson's Michigan State Spartans and Bird's Indiana State Sycamores overcame long odds and great doubts that their unheralded teams could compete at the highest level. Davis also tells the stories of their remarkable coaches, Jud Heathcote and Bill Hodges--who were new to their schools but who set their own paths to build great teams--and he shows how tensions over race and class heightened the drama of the competition. When Magic and Bird squared off in Salt Lake City on March 26, 1979, the world took notice--to this day it remains the most watched basketball game in the history of television--and the sport we now know was born.

Underdawgs: How Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs Marched Their Way to the Brink of College Basketball's National Championship by David Woods Hardcover from Scribner ISBN: 1451610572 Butler University in Indianapolis became the smallest school in 40 years to reach the NCAA championship game. Prior to the tournament, a statistician calculated the Bulldogs as a 200-to-1 shot to win. But as fascinating as what Butler accomplished was how they did it. Underdawgs tells the incredible and uplifting story. Butler's coach, 33-year-old Brad Stevens, looked so young he was often mistaken for one of the players, but he had quickly become one of the best coaches in the nation by employing the "Butler Way." This philosophy of basketball and life, adopted by former coach Barry Collier, is based on five principles: humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness. Even the most casual observer could see this in every player, on the court and off, from NBA first-round draft pick Gordon Hayward to the last guy on the bench. Butler was coming off a great 2009-10 regular season, but its longtime existence on the periphery of major college basketball fostered doubt as March Madness set in. But after two historic upsets, one of top-seeded Syracuse and another of second-seeded Kansas State, and making it to the Final Four, the Bulldogs came within the diameter of a shoelace of beating the perennial leaders of college basketball: the Duke Blue Devils. Much more than a sports story, Underdawgs is the consummate David versus Goliath tale. Despite Duke's winning the championship, the Bulldogs proved they belonged in the game and, in the process, won the respect of people who were not even sports fans.

ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game Hardcover from ESPN Media Published: 2009- ISBN: 0345513924

Outside the Limelight: Basketball in the Ivy League by Kathy Orton Hardcover from Rutgers University Press Media Published: 2009- ISBN: 0813546168 The Ivy League is a place where basketball is neither a pastime nor a profession. Instead, it is a true passion among players, coaches, and committed sports enthusiasts who share in its every success and setback. Outside the Limelight is the first book to look inside Ivy League basketball and at the boundless enthusiasm that defines it. With painstaking reportage, Kathy Orton vividly captures the internal fervor of the personalities who champion their game--all the triumphs and disappointments of an Ivy hoop season. Scholarships for student athletes? None, and this is the only Division I conference that does not offer them. The TV spotlight? It barely shines, despite the passion, talent, and commitment of the players. Megadollar contracts from the NBA? Rarely does a player receive an offer. These age-old institutions are better known for turning out presidents, not point guards, and CEOs and captains of industry, not centers on the court. Orton weaves together the stories of coaches and players as they move from fall practice through an entire season and ahead to the NCAA tournament. From Harvard to Penn, Princeton to Cornell and beyond, players--perhaps more accustomed to pomp and circumstance--face leaky gyms, endure long bus rides, rigorous courseloads, and unbearable exam schedules. Why? Just to prove they can hang with the big boys despite juggling multiple non-athletic responsibilities? Maybe. But more importantly, for the sincere love of the game. Outside the Limelight provides frontcourt vision for college basketball fans everywhere to achieve an appreciation of this captivating conference and for diehard enthusiasts to gain greater insight into what brings Ivy League basketball to center circle.

The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches by Brian Curtis Hardcover from Taylor Trade Publishing ISBN: 0878333134 The Men of March: A Season Inside the Lives of College Basketball Coaches is a one-of-a kind look at what it means, and what it takes to be a head coach in the college arena of the new millennium. Granted extensive access to the locker rooms, practices, offices, sidelines and homes of four of the nations leading coaches and their programs (Mike Brey, Notre Dame; Steve Lavin, UCLA; Bill Self, Illinois and Steve Alford, Iowa), the author lays bare the forces that make coaches tick. From upset losses and recruiting wars, to the mounting frenzy of March Madness and the fierce rivalries played out through long winters under the brightest, hottest spotlight in college sports, readers gain a true respect for men who choose, and excel at, this roller coaster ride profession. With candid comments from over fifty college coaches, including Lute Olson, Roy Williams and John Chaney, in addition to perspectives from Dick Vitale, John Wooden, John Feinstein and many others, The Men of March provides an in-depth look at some of the major issues facing coaches in the game today. Among the many considerations of the college basketball pressure cooker are recruiting, graduation rates, hirings and firings, media relations and the influence of volatile social issues such as race and religion on the game's participants and leaders.

Cinderella Ball: A Look Inside Small-College Basketball in West Virginia by Bob Kuska Paperback from Bison Books ISBN: 0803213921 For most of the twentieth century, West Virginia was a college basketball hotbed. Its major programs were a success, but perhaps even more successful was the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, composed of fifteen schools that rarely earned headlines but set many records and became an identifiable part of small town culture and a source of state pride. This ethos exists today in small town Kentucky and Indiana but struggles to survive in West Virginia. Part of the reason is the state's population decline since the 1950s. That, author Bob Kuska argues, along with the rise of cable and satellite TV and the major college basketball empire, stole the thunder--and the crowds--from these small town communities.And yet, these teams play on in obscurity and still find success. Against the backdrop of West Virginia's great small college history, Kuska chronicles the day-to-day struggles and triumphs of one modern school, Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia. What happened to that team during a rags-to-riches yearlong stretch would've been remarkable at any level, let alone at a school with very low athletic department budgets and low visibility that makes recruiting talented players almost impossible.As he alternates between coaches and players, past and present, Kuska contrasts the fan enthusiasm of the conference's early years with the apathy that plagues the teams of the twenty-first century. If sports fans can get past the media and the madness that has made college basketball increasingly similar to professional basketball in its self-indulgence and sensationalism, they are left with leagues like the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference--scrappy, intelligent, and spirited--and still finding ways to succeed and thrive.

Investing in College Basketball by Larry R. Seidel Hardcover from AuthorHouse ISBN: 1418481394 Investing in College Basketball provides a comprehensive set of tools and techniques for successfully wagering on college basketball. It shows how the returns - winnings -- from investing in college basketball can be far greater than investing in stocks and bonds. These returns can be achieved by anyone with an interest in basketball, basic mathematical skills, and a computer with spreadsheet programs and Internet access. The power of the methodology is demonstrated by actual investing results for the 2003-2004 season of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The book includes an analysis of investment outcomes for the A-10 Conference, the working papers for assessing each team, and the analysis of each game for which an investment was made. There are extensive examples of how theory is applied in analyzing actual games and showing how good analysis consistently pays off.

Carolina Basketball: A Century of Excellence by Adam Lucas Hardcover from The University of North Carolina Press Media Published: 2010- ISBN: 0807834106 This is the must-have book for Tar Heel fans and college basketball lovers everywhere. Boasting six national championships and scores of Hall of Fame coaches and players, Carolina Basketball has come a long way from the first season--when the campus newspaper published a notice asking an unknown culprit to return the team's basketball. These pages are packed with little-known stories from the program's earliest days and new insights into its best-loved moments. All the greats are here, from Jack Cobb and the "Blind Bomber" George Glamack to Lennie Rosenbluth, Phil Ford, James Worthy, Michael Jordan, Antawn Jamison, and Tyler Hansbrough. Lucas reveals the meaning of the "Carolina family" and the origins and evolution of Tar Heel traditions that have made North Carolina one of the premier teams in men's college basketball. These stories are brought to life with more than 200 color and black-and-white photos; a foreword by Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith and an afterword by fellow Hall of Famer Roy Williams; and an appendix of records and statistics. Some 30 sidebars feature first-person recollections from prominent players including Rosenbluth, Ford, and Jordan; opposing coaches like Lefty Driesell; and national broadcasters like Dick Vitale.

How March Became Madness: How the NCAA Tournament Became the Greatest Sporting Event in America by Eddie Einhorn, and Ron Rapoport Hardcover from Triumph Books (IL) ISBN: 1572438096 The March to Madness is the fascinating account of how the telecast between Houston and UCLA laid the foundation for what became one of the greatest sporting events in America. It's an account told through the voices of a who's who of great players, coaches, and announcers.

Put Me In, Coach: A Parent's Guide to Winning the Game of College Recruiting (Volume 1) by Laurie A. Richter Paperback from Right Fit Press ISBN: 0615213332 PUT ME IN, COACH is an award winning, must-have guidebook for parents and their student-athletes who want to be recruited to compete in athletics at the college level. Because of limited roster spots, only a handful of high school athletes will play their sport competitively in college and even fewer will get NCAA or NAIA scholarships. For your child to be one of them, you need a game plan, and the earlier you start, the better. If you are the parent of a student-athlete who is better than most in high school athletics, but college coaches aren't lining up at your door, you will find PUT ME IN, COACH indispensable. Advice and personal observations from 40 college coaches will help you understand how to market your child so coaches take notice, how to get money from any school even those that don t give athletic scholarships, how to identify the colleges that are the right fit for your child, how to understand recruiting from the coaches point of view, and how to make the right impression and get the most out of campus visits. PUT ME IN, COACH has won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award and the Next Generation Indie Book Award, and was a finalist for the USA Best Books Award.

Hoop Hysteria II: The College Basketball Trivia Quiz Book by Brent Flanders Paperback from Addax Delivery sometimes delayed

Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball by Thomas R. Graham, Rachel Graham Cody Paperback from Indiana University Press

ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game Hardcover from ESPN 2009-

Big Blue : 100 Years of Kentucky Wildcat Basketball by Michael Bradley Hardcover from Sporting News

Leading With the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, & Life by Mike Krzyzewski, Donald T. Phillips Paperback from Warner Business

Basketball on Paper: Rules and Tools for Performance Analysis by Dean Oliver Hardcover from Brasseys, Inc.

My Losing Season by Pat Conroy Paperback from Bantam

Five-Point Play: The Story of Duke's Amazing 2000-2001 Championship Season by Mike Krzyzewski, Donald T. Phillips Hardcover from Warner Books

Tales from the Syracuse Hardwood by Bud Poliquin Orange is a state of mind for fans of Syracuse University basketball. Think Orange and images of greatness appear, from Vic Hanson in the Roaring '20s through Carmelo Anthony in the 21 st century. Think Orange and the sounds of glory are heard, from old Archbold Gym to the gleaming Carrier Dome. Think Orange and the memories of 1,607 victories are stirred, from SU's first win in 1901 over Cornell to its 2003 triumph over Kansas that brought home the national championship. Many of the stories that have contributed to the phenomenon known as Orangemen basketball now come to life in Bud Poliquin's Tales from the Syracuse Hardwood. Dave Bing, Jim Boeheim, Jim Brown (yes, he played hoops, too), Bouie and Louie, Leo Rautins, Pearl Washington, and Derrick Coleman -- all of them and numerous other SU legends join Hanson and Anthony in the pages of this anecdotal anthology of Syracuse University basketball, certain to complete the bookshelf of any Orangemen fan. Tales from the Syracuse Hardwood looks at the team's infamous 27-game losing streak in the early 1960s, Roy's Runts, the Pearl's stunning halfcourt buzzer-beater that knocked off Boston College in 1984, the fabulous Final Four runs of 1975, 1996, and 2003; and Anthony's freshman brilliance that delivered the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament title in the very New Orleans building haunted by Indiana's Keith Smart and his game-winning shot in the 1987 national championship game. Hardcover from Sports Publishing, Inc.

They Call Me Coach
by John R. Wooden, Jack Tobin, Bill Walton
Listed under Basketball Coaching
 

The Carolina Way: Leadership Lessons from a Life in Coaching by Dean Smith, Gerald D. Bell, John Kilgo Audio CD from Penguin Audiobooks

Knight: My Story by Bob Knight, Bob Hammel Hardcover from Thomas Dunne Books

The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers, and the Death of Their Las Vegas by Chad Millman Paperback from DaCapo Press

A March to Madness by John Feinstein Paperback from Back Bay Books

Legends of College Basketball : The 100 Greatest Players of All Time by Sporting News, Mike DeCourcy Hardcover from McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Distributed Products

Undefeated, Untied, and Uninvited by Kristine Setting Clark Hardcover from Griffin Pub

O God of Players: The Story of the Immaculata Mighty Macs (Religion and American Culture (New York, N.Y.).) by Julie Byrne Paperback from Columbia University Press

Last Amateurs, The: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division 1 College Basketball by John Feinstein Paperback from Back Bay Books

John Laskowski's Tales from the Hoosier Locker Room: A Collection of the Greatest Stories Ever Told by John Laskowski, Stan Sutton Hardcover from Sports Publishing, Inc.

My Life On a Napkin: Pillow Mints, Playground Dreams & Coaching the Runnin'utes by Rick Majerus Paperback from Hyperion

Tales from the Maryland Terrapins by David Ungrady Hardcover from Sports Publishing, Inc.

Lenny, Lefty, and the Chancellor: The Len Bias Tragedy and the Search for Reform in Big-Time College Basketball by C. Fraser Smith Paperback from Bancroft Press 1992

 
 

College Basketball on DVD

»More Basketball Videos

Search This Site