College basketball consists of many teams that compete across intercollegiate matches, often referred to as the NCAA Division I. The most widely viewed and followed type of college basketball is March Madness, which features 68 team single-elimination tournaments organized by conference.
If you’re a college basketball fan, you’ve undoubtedly noticed a few changes in the game. Whether it be the recent implementation of a 30-second shot clock, or the more widespread use of analytics by coaches to parse through game footage, these tweaks are an attempt to modernize a sport brought into existence in 1895. But college basketball has so much more to offer than just the game on the court.
The season is an excellent time for bonding as you watch and discuss your favorite team’s successes and failures. And it’s also a chance to see some of this country’s most beautiful scenery, from historic arenas like Cameron Indoor Stadium to picturesque campus scenery at America’s colleges and universities.
An Overview of College Basketball
This provides more insight into this exciting sport and includes some fascinating facts about the college game’s history, who gets paid to play it, and how much money it generates for universities worldwide.
The sport is divided into Division I and Division II. The First Four, or Big Four, of major champions, play in the NCAA Tournament, which features 64 teams arranged into 64 single-elimination tournaments. The team with the highest wins in its Division becomes that Division’s automatic NCAA Champion. It then plays for the national championship later in the year. The others move on to play in the consolation tournament.
Points earned in the tournament are assigned to a team’s record, which is used to measure performance. If a team wins more than it loses, it will have more points and wins than teams that finish with losses. Similarly, teams can earn points if they finish with better records than an opponent in conference games not played at the team’s home court. The points earned in the NCAA Tournament may be adjusted for the strength of the schedule.
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT)
The NIT is a post-season tournament featuring Division I and Division II teams and college teams from other divisions. It used to feature 24 groups of four but has been expanded to 40 groups of four since 2001. The NIT features 64 teams that play in 40 single-elimination tournaments until there is an ultimate champion.
Other post-season college basketball tournaments include the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, which features 16 teams from the Division I level. Another one is the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), which features eight teams from the Division II level, and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) features 12 teams from Division I, but no more than five from Divisions II or III.
Advantages to Watching College Basketball
If you want to excite your friends or bond with your family, there is no better way than to watch basketball games together. College basketball is an excellent topic for friendly banter and good-natured or severe debates. Basketball games are fun and exciting. You can all be seated together while cheering on your favorite team and goofing around. Some people even like to bet on college basketball games, especially during the NCAA tournament. There are online services you can use to get high quality NCAA College Basketball Tournament picks to help you come out on top with all of your bets. They will keep you thoroughly entertained while waiting for the clock to run down. This is also a great bonding experience. Everyone loves basketball, so attending a game or watching it on TV will give you a fantastic excuse to meet new people.
