More College Basketball News
Auburn’s March Madness Crisis Deepens as National Analyst Unsettles Bruce Pearl’s Go-To Strategy
As Auburn’s March Madness hopes hang in the balance, national analyst highlights potential weaknesses in Bruce Pearl’s strategy.
Cooper Flagg Can’t Escape Duke’s March Madness Demons as National Broadcaster Makes Life Difficult for Jon Scheyer
Cooper Flagg knows he has a big task in hand after National broadcaster talks about a worrying trend for Duke
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A fatal crash tragically ends the life of 20-year-old student manager Britney Perez of the Northwestern women's basketball team
The Ground Is Shrinking Beneath 15 NCAA Teams After John Calipari’s Stunning Turnaround Before March Madness
Arkansas' resurgence under John Calipari puts them in contention for March. With key wins and momentum, the Razorbacks are up for a deep run.
Diehard UConn Hater Breaks Silence on Why She Had No Choice but to Support Diana Taurasi Over Caitlin Clark
Diana Taurasi has had a peculiar history with Caitlin Clark. Read to know more about the two WNBA presences.
Playing ‘Worst’ Basketball, Flau’Jae Johnson’s Plan for March Madness Has Little to Do With LSU
After his disastrous performance against Alabama questions have been raised about Flau'jae and her commitment towards the LSU Tigers
Despite Being $160M Rich Carmelo’s Son, Kiyan Anthony Drops Surprising Confession at Sneaker Con
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Bill Simmons Picks Cooper Flagg Over Jayson Tatum as He Warns $400M NBA Vision’s Dark Circumstances
Cooper Flagg gets compared to Jayson Tatum as Bill Simmons gives a warning to him about the upcoming NBA draft
Dawn Staley Has Little Time for South Carolina as Coach Gives More Attention to LSU in Another SEC Clash
Despite crushing Ole Miss, Dawn Staley's focus was elsewhere—locked on LSU’s stunning 88-85 OT collapse against Alabama.
Forced by Alabama Upset, Flau’jae Johnson Issues Unfiltered Apology for Her “Worst Basketball” Game in 14 Months
Flau'jae Johnson’s struggles vs. Alabama raise questions as LSU eyes a deep tournament run. Can she bounce back in time for March Madness?
Severe Allegations Tied to NC State Front Office as ESPN Insider Exposes Kevin Keatts’ Major Crisis
ESPN Insider reveals major turmoil within NC State's front office as Kevin Keatts faces a growing crisis amid severe allegations.
Notre Dame’s March Madness Joy Crushed Within 3 Hours as No. 24 Florida Upsets Olivia Miles & Co.
Notre Dame suffered a brutal night as the Seminoles rallied late in the first half to deliver a blow to already wonded Fighting Irish
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.
