March Madness – Basketball @ the GRCC Library

By Marcia Lee
Serials Specialist

In honor of NCAA’s single elimination college basketball tournament, March Madness, that is upon us, it seemed to be the perfect time to share a little basketball history & what basketball resources reside on our library’s shelves. Below is a short, basic timeline of how basketball & in particular college basketball came to exist as it does today…

• 1891 – Basketball is invented by Canadian Physical Education Professor, James Naismith, at Springfield College in Massachusetts. A soccer ball & peach buckets were used in the very first game. The sport quickly spread across the nation & became a leisure game for men & women.
• 1896 – The first college basketball game is played in Iowa between the University of Iowa & the University of Chicago.
• 1905 – The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States is formed, the predecessor to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Assocation).
• 1939 – The first reference to the madness that goes on at the end of the college basketball season, in March is made by an Illinois official, who referenced the “march madness”, this sparked the name now tied to the tournaments.
• By the 1950’s – Basketball is now a major college sport with the element of dribbling becoming an important part of the game around this time.
• 1963 – Basketball is broadcasted for the first time on National TV.

March Madness remains the term used when referring to the NCAA’s end of the season tournament games played by both men & women at the college level.

The GRCC Library has several resources, online & in print, for your use that deal with the history, the coaching, & the strategy of basketball. Whether it is for a class project or just for your own interest, CLICK HERE to view a list of resources we provide!

March Madness begins Tuesday, March 13, 2012, and ends Monday, April 2, 2012.