Imagine a boy, five feet tall and one hundred pounds, who wants to play high school basketball. Now imagine that he was blind until the age of six and that he's the first black student to attend his suburban school. And there you have Michael Thompson in 1965 in San Bruno, California. He played at the school where a young English teacher was coaching "lightweight basketball," a competition for smaller players that has since disappeared. The team that Coach John Christgau put together came to be called the Whiz Kids for the way they rocketed up and down the court, led by Michael and invariably winning.

"Michael and the Whiz Kids" tells the story of the team's 1968 championship season. It is a tale of cliffhanger games and players as outsized in character as they are short in stature, from the wild-haired, bespectacled "Professor" to the well-traveled Latvian dubbed "Suitcase" to the quiet and tenacious "Salt," as in "of the earth." But it is also a tale of the time--of counterculture, suburbia, integration, and racial brawls erupting on the court. In Christgau's deft telling, it is an absorbing, often comic story of coming of age, for coach and Whiz Kids alike.

Coaches always want to improve their teams. Usually they go about this by searching for the perfect offense or defense. Few coaches stop to realize one of the best ways to improve their team is to improve their players. Fine Tuning Your Team's Position Play provides position specific concepts to improve player's skills. Included are concepts for point guards, perimeter players (shooting guards and small forwards) and post players (power forwards and centers). Illustrated with 120+ photographs and 120+ diagrams in an 8.5 x 11 inch sized format, Fine Tuning Your Team's Post Play also includes drills to teach the concepts described. The author, a long time coach, includes ideas on the importance of using mastery of fundamentals to build confidence, ideas for planning practice sessions and additional bonus material. Fine Tuning Your Team's Position Play is an excellent reference manual for veteran or young coaches as well as players who want to learn some of the finer points of the game. Some examples of concepts included are: --Two different tactics to inbounds the ball to point guards when pressed. --How to best enter the ball into the post - coordinating the perimeter and post players. --Passing from the low post. --Setting and using screens. --Techniques that will reduce turnovers. Also included in Fine Tuning Your Team's Position Play are 34 Drills and Drill Progressions designed to improve player's skills. Some of the drills described include: --Basic Movement Drills --The Shooting Progression --Feed the Post Skill Progression --Daily One Minute Drills --Drills designed to master lay-ups in game-like conditions. Fine Tuning Your Team's Position Play is part of a five book series, each of which is full of concepts and ideas about how to improve a specific part of your basketball team's game. Other titles in this series include: Fine Tuning Your Fast Break, Fine Tuning Your Zone Attack Offense, Fine Tuning Your Man-to-Man Defense and Fine Tuning Your Three-Point Attack.

Featuring over 200 articles and 125 illustrations, "The Lost Century of Women's Basketball" is a time capsule of media reports from the birth of women's basketball in the 19th century.

High school, college, and athletic club teams played in leagues and competed in tournaments long before the modern era of women's sports. After a wild first decade, this brief flourishing of women's basketball was tamped down by social pressure and the wide-open full-court game was tamed by a partitioned court and restrictive rules that remained intact until the passage of Title IX in 1972.

This volume includes coverage of Eastern women's college teams at Smith, Wellesley, Vassar, Cornell and Bryn Mawr, the first intercollegiate basketball game between the Universities of Stanford and California, the outbreak of Hoosier hysteria in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and reports from across the country about this popular new sport for women.

Women began to play basketball within a few weeks after YMCA instructor James Naismith unveiled the game on March 11, 1892. The sport quickly spread to YWCAs, athletic clubs, high schools, and colleges across the country.

Basketball released women's competitive passions more than any other sport. For players in the heat of a contest, scrambling on the floor and tussling over a loose ball were natural athletic reactions. But to many 19th century observers it was a shocking display unlike anything they had ever seen before, a disturbing eruption of unbridled physicality that society had tamped down for centuries.

The clash between ladylike decorum and athletic abandon troubled many educators, social commentators and sports authorities. Young women were expected to remain proper and demure in all public settings. While golf, tennis, bowling, ice skating, and other individual sports inspired acceptably feminine behavior, the action-packed team game of basketball, often played before a boisterous all-female audience, permitted a Victorian girls' night out, and by many accounts the girls went wild.

Scandalous reports of name-calling, hair-pulling, cheating, arguing with referees, and fighting on the court were sensationalized in the press. Gymnasium balconies surged with loyal supporters clad in team colors, yelling organized cheers and exchanging volleys of taunts with rival fans. Critics of women's sports were not the only ones who were alarmed. The same women who pioneered the game sought to rein it in soon after it was unleashed.

This volume includes excerpts from Senda Berenson's influential booklet for Spalding's Athletic Library, the basketball chapter from the first comprehensive book written about American women's sports, and rare insight into the women who pioneered the game: Lucille Eaton Hill of Wellesley, Kate Anderson in Chicago, Helen Freeman in Iowa, Clara Baer in New Orleans, Lucile Hewett in Utah, and Margaret Livingston Stanton Lawrence, daughter of the suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in New York.

This volume includes teams or reports from: Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Wyoming, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia and Hawaii,

The Lost Century of Sports Collection (www.LostCentury.com) publishes illustrated anthologies from America's sporting heritage. Other books in the series include The Lost Century of American Football, The American Football Trilogy, Football Linemen, and Daughters of the Lost Century.

In this book, I am going to teach you how to play basketball. In the first section I am going to teach you how to dribble the ball the basic way, between the legs, behind the back, crossover, low dribbling, and faking. In the second section I am going to te4ach you passes, such as: chest pass, bounce pass, behind the back pass, between the legs pass, and alley oops. In the third section I am going to teach you how to shoot or lay-up the ball, such as: form, lay-ups, close jump shots, mid-range shots, 3-pointers, and triple threats. I am also going to teach you defense, but since I don't want to give too much away, I am going to stop there. Hope you learn from reading my book, and thank you.

Shooting the ball successfully is the most important skill in the sport of basketball. The latest in the Coaching Basketball Series, 101 Shooting Drills for the Game of Basketball provides coaches who are searching for drills to improve their players shooting ability will find this book invaluable. Illustrated with both diagrams and photographs, 101 Shooting Drills for the Game of Basketball contains drills to cover nearly every instructional situation a coach will face. Some of the chapters included are: - Warming up the Shot - Lay-ups - Free Throws - Developmental Shooting Drills - Competitive Shooting Drills - Fast Break Drills - Shooting Drills for Fun - Post Play Shooting Drills Each drill is described in detail, provides information on organization, estimated time to be allotted, and the concepts the drill teaches. There is something for every basketball coach in 101 Shooting Drills for Basketball, veteran and rookie coach alike.

The Book of Record for Ivy League Basketball... Everyone thinks they know the story, but no one really does. Hutter's body of work (bow) ratings methodology is a brilliant conception for the purpose of establishing team and player rankings across generations. -Ted Silary, Philadelphia Daily News...TedSilary.com. Great stuff ...I did not realize that I witnessed the best of Ivy League basketball when I was at Penn. -Steven Greif, University of Pennsylvania. As both a college student during the Golden Age and longtime ACC basketball fan, I have to admit that Duke and North Carolina could not handle Penn and Princeton back in the day. -Russ Frank, Duke '71. The Golden Age of Ivy League Basketball is a "classic basketball book" for the "classic basketball fan." It captures and summarizes the nostalgic post-Bill Bradley era and also serves as a basic primer for Ivy League and NBA basketball history. The book enables classic readers to connect-the-dots associated with this memorable period and clears the fog surrounding their hazy but fond recollections. In addition to being chocked full of data, rankings, comparative analyses and sports trivia, it provides a historical overview pertaining to sports media issues which are of interest to both the "classic" and the "contemporary" basketball fan alike. Front cover: Columbia's Jim McMillian guarding Princeton's Bill Bradley during the Knicks/Lakers 1973 NBA finals. Printed in U.S.A.

Most fans of women's basketball would be startled to learn that girls' teams were making their mark more than a century ago - and that none was more prominent than a team from an isolated Indian boarding school in Montana. Playing like ""lambent flames"" across the polished floors of dance halls, armories, and gymnasiums, the girls from Fort Shaw stormed the state to emerge as Montana's first basketball champions. Taking their game to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, these young women introduced an international audience to the fledgling game and returned home with a trophy declaring them champions. World champions. And yet their triumphs were forgotten - until Linda Peavy and Ursula Smith chanced upon a team photo and embarked on a ten-year journey of discovery. Their in-depth research and extensive collaboration with the teammates' descendents and tribal kin have resulted in a narrative as entertaining as it is authentic. Full-Court Quest offers a rare glimpse into American Indian life and into the world of women's basketball before ""girls' rules"" temporarily shackled the sport. For anyone captivated by Sea Biscuit, A League of Their Own, and other accounts of unlikely champions, this book rates as nothing but net.

In "The Golden Age of Basketball - Volume I" Sports Photojournalist Steven A. Roseboro presents a words-eye view of the most exciting Decade in the History of the NBA, the Eighties. The Book chronicles the remarkable rivalry between Earvin "Magic" Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird's Boston Celtics, who won a combined 8 of 10 NBA Championships in the Decade. The competitive excellence of Bird vs. Magic changed the landscape of the league and laid the foundation for the global explosion of Professional Basketball. Volumes I (1979-1984) and II (1985-1989) feature over 500 action photos as Bird, Magic, the Ageless Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the Spectacular Julius "Dr. J" Erving, and Isiah Thomas' Bad Boy Detroit Pistons all battled for League supremacy. Volume I also profiles Hall of Famers Moses Malone, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, James Worthy and George Gervin, who left their indelible imprints on the Decade. Relive Magic Johnson's "Magical" 42 point, 15 rebound, 7 assist masterpiece in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Larry Bird leading the 1981 Celtics back to their customary perch atop the NBA, the go-go World Champion Lakers of 1982, Moses Malone's "Fo-Fo-Fo" Philadelphia 76ers bringing Julius Erving his first NBA title, and the emotionally charged 1984 NBA Final, a seven game classic first meeting between Bird's Celtics and Magic's Lakers. Boston's hard-earned title sets the stage for Volume II, introducing the NBA and the world to the player taken second in the 1984 NBA Draft, the man that would take the game from the floor to above the rim, Michael Jordan.

Basketball was originally designed to be a team game, but today's players are growing up in a culture that focuses on the individual. In Teamwork, Mike Huff calls coaches and athletes to return to basketball's essence, by focusing on The 7 Essentials of Teamwork: communication, leadership, humility, roles, team spirit, a winning attitude, and collective responsibility. The lessons in this book will enable coaches to teach life lessons that help players become winners on and off the court. "Mike Huff addresses a serious issue in the basketball culture changing from an emphasis on the team to an increased focus on the individual. He calls coaches to lead the way in returning the focus where it belongs, which is on the team first. Teamwork: Rediscovering the Essence of Basketball will help any coach who is interested in teaching the game of basketball and important life lessons through basketball." -Mike Kryzyzewski, Head Coach, Duke University Basketball "Building a great team and a championship level culture are two of the biggest challenges a coach faces every season. Using his extensive experience and knowledge as a player and coach, Mike Huff provides valuable insight into the nuances of these important concepts. Every coach should have this book in his or her library." -Greg Dale, Director of Sport Psychology and Leadership Programs for Duke University Athletics

LeBron James is the world's most talked-about active basketball player, stirring adoration-and intense criticism. Sports fans and journalists see the polarizing player as either the most exciting basketball player of his generation-or a selfish underachiever, and sometimes both. This book sets aside the controversy to let James speak for himself in his own words. Culling over 200 quotes on over 100 subjects drawn from print and electronic media-press conferences, magazines, newspapers, websites, television appearances, and Twitter posts-starting with his early years as a promising basketball star in high school-this timely compilation shows the world LeBron James' unique perspective on life on, and off, court. Alphabetically arranged, the quotes provide inspiration for readers wanting to pursue personal and professional goals.

In 1972, the University of Arizona built McKale Center, a basketball arena that seated nearly 14,000 people. Filling that arena would present considerable challenges: the Wildcats hadn't been to an NCAA post-season tournament for over two decades, and attendance at Bear Down Gymnasium, which holds 3,000, was dismal. Enter Fred Snowden. Tasked with developing a basketball program that would justify the existence of the arena, the newly appointed head coach exceeded all expectations. He assembled a staff of high-quality assistant coaches, recruited dynamic, talented players who made the games exciting to watch, and -- perhaps most importantly -- got the Tucson community to support those players. He accomplished all of this while receiving hate mail and death threats from people who didn't approve of the Wildcats being led to victory by the first black coach in NCAA division one for a major school in a major conference. Tucson a Basketball Town shines a light on an often overlooked chapter in UA history. Fans of the game will be sure to root for Coach Snowden as he transforms Tucson into the basketball town we know and love.

As one of the greatest players to ever play the game, Allen Iverson was a thrill to watch. An electrifying mix of speed, heart, and competitive drive, to say Iverson was exciting is an understatement. The offensive spark on a defensive-minded team, Iverson and the 76ers went on to unite a city, a nation, and ultimately, the entire sport of basketball with their attitude and hustle-laden game. Told from the point of view of a teenager caught up in the moment, this exciting novel relives the thrilling and unforgettable 2000-01 season that led to a David versus Goliath matchup against the Lakers that still has sports fans talking over a decade later. It takes readers back to the pinnacle of the Allen Iverson era through the eyes of an eager ninth grader who closely follows the team. While trying to convince his friends and family that the Sixers are worth watching, the narrator highlights all of the wonderful and timeless aspects of one of the most memorable teams in Philadelphia sports history. Recapping the construction of the team and every 2001 playoff game -- with 48 pictures scattered throughout -- along with frequent discussions and sports radio conversations, the book makes readers feel like they're reliving the season all over again. With its easy style and common fan approach, The 76ers with Iverson highlights the growing connection between the team and the city and the emergence of the team as a part of the fans' lives. Incorporating all the emotions, thoughts, and observations of a normal fan, the author forgoes the traditional sportswriter approach and keeps the topic on an intimate level. Appreciation, admiration, and excitement abound in this wonderful piece of nostalgia, perfectly illustrating how one scrappy team could captivate an entire nation and all of our hearts. **This is the version with black & white pictures. The color version can be found under the "formats" tab for $34.99. The kindle version is available for $4.99.

Big East Confidential is an inside look at the exciting 2010-11 Big East men's basketball season. It takes the reader from the initial Jim Calhoun press conference in October at Media Day in Madison Square Garden to cutting down the nets after winning a third National Championship in April. Much is made of the great season had by UConn star guard Kemba Walker.It deals in depth with the officiating mistakes at the Big East Tournament, recruiting and the resurgence of the Rutgers Program under Mike Rice. The Top 50 Big East players of all-time are selected along with predictions for the 2011-12 season. It is a must read for all avid college basketball fans and especially fans of the Big East and UConn

Basketball coaches around the world are constantly looking for ways to improve their team's rebounding on both the offensive and defensive end of the court. The Rebounding Workshop contains both drills and concepts designed to help improve your team's rebounding. Included are 40 drills that cover a wide range of techniques to be repeated until perfected and honed into habits. Areas covered include: -individual technique -the best way to secure a rebound -offensive rebounding -defensive rebounding -outlet passing to initiate the fast break -rebounding agility drills -competitive drills Also included are a wide range of concepts for coaches to consider when designing their team approach to rebounding. Traditional and out-of-the-box rebounding concepts are presented for coaches to consider. Regardless of the strategy and tactics adopted, the drills in The Rebounding Workshop can be modified and adapted to the needs of any team regardless of age, skill level or experience.

Basketball Analytics is a must-read for any sports analytics enthusiast or student of the game of basketball. Authors Stephen Shea, Ph.D. (Professor of Mathematics) and Christopher Baker (Software Engineer) utilize their unique skill-set to introduce original metrics for analyzing player performance, team style and team construction in the NBA. While demonstrating an awareness of the industry's best ideas, the authors present original, objective and efficient strategies for understanding how teams win. New player performance statistics include Offensive Efficiency (OE), Efficient Offensive Production (EOP), Defensive Stops Gained (DSG), and Approximate Value (AV). OE reflects a player's ability to make the most fundamental offensive decisions. EOP adjusts a player's points and assists based on his efficiency. DSG gives a complete measure of a player's defensive contributions, without relying on individual player statistics like blocks and steals. AV is a measure of total player performance that rivals any publicly available statistic. Basketball Analytics introduces groundbreaking metrics on player involvement in the offense. Point, Rebound and Assist Balance aggregate player usage in these critical statistics. New studies on the NBA show whether teams should strive for balance or unbalance. An NBA draft pick value study determines the average value of each pick and the likelihood of landing a star or role player with each draft position. The results of this study are used to discuss topics including the biggest draft blunders and steals, the draft success of each NBA team, and the quality of each draft class dating back to 1977. This valuable understanding of the NBA Draft creates a foundation for discussing various approaches to team development and construction. Additionally, the authors discuss redefining the positions on the court, unpredictability in the game, data visualization, and applications of spatial tracking technology. There are many intensely debated questions surrounding the NBA today. Who are the most valuable players, and how do they compare to past greats? Which players have the greatest impact on their team's defense? Should Kobe Bryant be concerned with getting his teammates involved in the offense? How do offenses differ in the clutch, and which players thrive in these situations? How difficult is it for a team to rebuild through the draft? Basketball Analytics introduces new statistics and new concepts to explore these questions and more.

Basketball For Everyoneis one of the most scientifically compiled books ever produced on the sport. The author, Clair Bee, is the leading authority on the subject and is known in basketball circles throughout the world. Augmented by over 150 carefully drawn diagrams and clear instructional photographs, the fan, player or coach can now get an expert's view of the game. No book of this type has ever been produced before with such detailed explanations. Basketball For Everyone is a book that warrants a place on the bookshelf of every basketball enthusiast.

Coach Steve Biddison has a history of turning basketball programs around. Four times in his career he has taken over teams who had losing records and turned them into a playoff team. Coaching From the HEART is a detailed account how he works to change the mindset of players who are used to losing and turn them into winners. Using the acronym of HEART, Coach Biddison explains how Hard Work, Enthusiasm, Attitudes of Confidence, Relationships, and Talent gells a program together to form the Heart of a Champion. Each chapter is dedicated to one of those five core values that make up a successful basketball program. Along the way, Coach Biddison gives personal accounts of how he worked to instill these values into his team. If you are a basketball coach, or any other type of coach, this is a must book as it will get you thinking about how to really reach inside the hearts and minds of your players and give them the best opportunity to succeed.

Brenda Florian had been a starter on the Wilber-Clatonia volleyball team in the fall of 1982. The basketball team was loaded with talent. Brenda expected similar success during the winter sport. A sore knee had slowed her down, but she vowed to fight back. she had no idea that she would be fighting for her life. This is a story of one extra-ordinary young lady and her incredible courage against a terrible disease. It's also about the inspiration she brought to her family, her team and her community.

Growing up on the hardscrabble streets of LA in the late 1950s, Billy McGill stood out. At eleven he was dunking. At fifteen he was playing in pickup games against Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain--and holding his own, in part because he invented the jump hook shot, which no one could defend. How he went from college phenom, well on his way to becoming the greatest player Los Angeles ever produced, to sleeping in abandoned houses and washing up in a Laundromat sink is the story Billy "the Hill" McGill recounts here.

The first African American to play basketball for the University of Utah and the highest scoring big man in NCAA history, McGill was the first pick of the 1962 NBA draft. But the injury that would undo him--a knee injury in his junior year of high school--had already occurred, and it would worsen year after year until his career faded away. From college star (whose scoring record is still unbroken) to troubled player, bouncing around the NBA and the ABA, McGill takes us from the heights to his precipitous fall--and the slow recovery of a life he had never prepared for. A cautionary tale, written with a candor and authenticity rarely seen in pro athletes, his book is also the incredible story of one of the greatest unknown basketball players of all time.

Every young players dream, their first major goal in pursuit of a basketball career, is to be part of the High School State Championship Game. The event where all eyes are on the main stage, focused on the dedicated players from each team who pour their heart, soul, sweat, blood and tears onto the court. This is the day where stars become Legends. All-American Jeremiah Pierce has finally led his St. Bishop Knights to the California State Championship Title Game after three years. Before the start of the game, he gets a call from an unknown voice threatening him to lose the game or else.

THINK YOU KNOW CELTICS TRIVIA? Think again. In this brand new book in the IQ Sports Series, find out how smart you really are about the Boston Celtics. Are you a rookie? Are you a tested, hardcore veteran? Or will you be hoping to find a team that will sign you to a ten-day contract halfway through the book? We'll let you know. Five chapters, more than 250 questions - that's what you're up against, and we're keeping score. In each chapter you'll face 50 questions covering ten different categories: The Numbers Game, The Rookies, The Veterans, The Legends, The Guards, The Big Men, The Coaches, The Playoffs, The Fabulous Feats, and Miscellaneous. Plus a bonus question in the form of a Red Auerbach quote at the end of every chapter Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's the ultimate Boston Celtics IQ test "Fans of the Boston Celtics have used David Colburn's website for years to satisfy their hunger for all-things Celtics. Well, it was only a matter of time - and finally we have it. The man who dedicated himself to chronicling the statistical history of his beloved franchise has finally put his considerable talents into creating the finest book of trivia ever compiled on the Boston Celtics. It is well-crafted, meticulously researched, and delightfully entertaining - enjoy." - Daniel J. Brush, award-winning co-author of the Sports by the Numbers Series

George Cella was a fine all-round athlete at his native Hack-ensack, New Jersey, High School and, at Springfield College, where he excelled in basketball and baseball. After graduation, his batting power and great throwing arm won him a Red Sox baseball contract. Despite an excellent minor league record, he had to relinquish his baseball career due to a knee injury, and turn to the teaching and coaching profession. Coach Cella's book on basketball techniques is sound, workable, and based on actual success. His book makes good reading for anyone interested in basketball.