College Basketball - A Slam Dunk For Scholarships

Not all children are able to continue their education to the college level. Earning a college degree can be difficult. Location, available courses need to be carefully considered, as well as the cost of enrollment. Many students therefore apply for financial aid; if they are talented in sports, they look into sports scholarships, which could also serve as a stepping stone for a career in professional sports. They test their probability of availing such scholarships during the recruitment period. Students who are gifted in basketball, for instance, try out in college basketball recruiting.

Basketball is a sport comprising of two teams, which in turn has five players each. The objective is to score by shooting a ball through a hoop, elevated on a post 10 feet from the ground. Over the years players have developed skills and styles in shooting the ball which combine both athleticism and artistry. One of these is the slam dunk.

In the early days of the NBA dunks were prohibited from play. In those days, shots were taken in spots near the basket, with players' feet just barely leaving the floor. There was no three point line at the time, and "small" players ruled the court. It wasn't until the late 60's that the dunk officially came into play. And in 1971, a certain player by the name of Julius "the Doctor" Erving came onto the scene. Dr. J, as he later became called, could dunk the ball into the hoop like no other before him. He could windmill, rock the ball, go behind basketball back, head, and other stuff thought that no human could ever do with a basketball. Erving's abilities didn't go unnoticed in the NBA, many teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, New Orleans Jazz, and Boston Celtics tried to lure Erving away from the ABA, it didn't work. NBA began to copy Dr. J's famous dunks.

In 1976 the ABA held an all-star game, in Denver Colorado, as was the custom. That year, however, they introduced a new concept that would revolutionize the game. That year, the ABA launched the slam dunk contest. The competition included many of the ABA's stars, including Erving, who would go on win to the contest. He did this by doing what no player has ever done: jumping from the free throw line to dunk the ball. Later that year, the ABA merged with the NBA, and Julius Erving was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers. By the 1980s dunks were talked about and attempted by fans across the United States.

Students who are serious in applying for sports scholarships need plenty of help if they are to reach their goal. Information is a key factor in increasing the likelihood of getting noticed in college basketball recruiting. The Internet has proven to be a useful venue for both student athletes and coaches involved in the process of college recruiting. Students can learn how to succeed in college basketball recruiting. There are many websites and basketball forums wherein students and scouts can come together and interact.

D1Athletes is an online community wherein people can share and exchange information they need in the search for sports scholarships. D1Athletes offers them a place to build an online presence and gain important public exposure.

To learn more, visit http://www.D1Athletes.com or just click college basketball recruiting.

The Science of Shooting a Basketball - Your Step-by-Step Guide to Shooting Perfect Free Throws

Are you sick-and-tired basketball being pulled out of a close basketball game, because your coach is afraid you might get fouled and you won't be able to "deliver" at the free throw line? Or, do you feel like you have been condemned to walk the plank whenever you have to shoot a foul shot? If so, you are suffering from a case of Hack-A-Shaq. Do not worry though because, unfortunately, you are not alone. There are many basketball players including professional basketball players that have yet to master the fundamentals of how to shoot a foul shot, even though it is "free." As a basketball player, your ability to consistently make high percentage basketball foul shots could be the "difference" that helps your team win in the final seconds of a tight game. So, are you ready to sky-rocket your free throw shooting skills to new heights?

The Scienceof Shooting Free Throws.

The good news is that, shooting a free throw is almost purely "mechanical", and it is not complicated. By sticking to the fundamentals and practising faithfully, consistently, and regularly you should able to make four out of every five free throw shots without any difficulty. Just follow these simple guidelines:

Place your feet on the foul line at better than shoulder-width.

Point your toes straight at the end line.

Hold your body erect.

Hold the ball on the tips of your fingers with the thumbs three to four inches apart.

The ball should not touch the palm of the hand but should rest on the finger tips with the thumb pointing toward the basket.

Fix your eyes on the front rim of the basket.

Your thumbs should be in contact with the basketball at the last moment of release, thus causing a rotation.

The entire movement should be smooth and rhythmical. This may be accomplished with constant practice, and the muscles of your body will adjust themselves to this rhythm of action; before you know it, you will start shooting free throws perfectly every time without even thinking basketball it.

Psychology plays a great role when shooting basketball foul shots/free throws. Are you mentally ready?

Confidence influence foul shooting a great deal.

When you're about to shoot a free throw, walk up to the foul line as if there is no doubt in your mind about whether or not you're going to "sink" the shot.

Take a deep breath, and close your eyes for some few seconds as you visualize yourself in your mind sinking the ball at the bottom of the net successfully.

Then tell yourself, "I'm gonna sink this one...Nothing but net!"

Be sure that you are directly in front of the basket and about one inch from the line.

Take your shot as though you had all the time in the world and as though you were all alone in the gym.

Try to relax your muscles as you shoot the basketball.

Hopefully, you now have a pretty good idea of the mechanics and the psychology involved in shooting free throws.Keep in mind that overnight success takes time;in other words,if youcontinue to work at it, expectto see an improvement in your free throw shooting percentage over time. Do not get frustrated if you do not see improveright away...Be patient with yourself, and remain both persistent anddetermined. You can do it!

Would you like to dominate on the basketball court? If so, you can find once tightly-guarded basketball drills and tips on how to master all the fundamentals of basketball (such as shooting, dribbling, passing, and so on) so that you can elevate your game above the rim by visiting http://www.basketball-drills-and-tips.com.

Humorous Book Review - A Must Read

Have you ever asked yourself; What Happened to Common Sense? Well, you are certainly not alone, we all wonder what folks were thinking when they do stupid things and we are also often flabbergasted when our elected leaders make such ignorant or unethical decisions. Sometimes a bit of humor is the best way to address such hypocrisy, ignorance and stupidity. Something we can laugh at, perhaps to keep all the sound, fury and drama from making us cry due to the serious nature of all the issues.

It is for this reason that, Basketball1010pwjj@netscape appreciate a humor book now and again, books like the Dilbert Series, and similar works. One great book I have recently read on this topic of common sense and one that I would definitely recommend to you if you feel the same as I do on this topic is;

"Gump'ism; The Wit and Wisdom of Forest Gump" by Winston Groom; Pocket Books, New York, 1994.

One wonderful quote in this book and mind you it is full of great quotes, so it is hard to pull just a single on out, but one I enjoyed was:

Don't ever pick a fight with someone who is really ugly-looking!"

Decent advice, common sense, good idea; of course, as someone who is really ugly has nothing to lose and you perhaps do. And someone who is willing to fight and is ugly has probably been in many Basketball1010pwjj@netscape fights than you and has better experience too. You see, it is just plain common sense and this book has nearly 90-pages of common sense quotes just like this one.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Want to Jump As High As Kobe Bryant? - Easy Tips to Increase Your Vertical Leap!

The ability to jump high doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, dedication and a lot of hard work. Nobody can make you exercise and do the right workouts in Basketball1010pwjj@netscape to see the improvements that every basketball player wants to see. It is completely up to you! Here are a few ways to help you Jump as high as Kobe Bryant.

1. Diet! Your muscles need the energy to be able to perform at their peak level. The best way to get this energy quickly is to eat healthy carbs. I stress HEALTHY carbs. The best carbs to eat are whole grains. Stay away from white bread and other thing that contain starchy carbs. Eat 1 gram of protein for 1 pound of your body weight. I weigh 190 pounds so I eat 190 grams of protein per day. This will give you long lasting energy as well as allow your muscles to repair themselves faster after a workout.

2. Exercise! You should do a jump routine every day. The best time to work out is in the morning about 30 minutes after breakfast. Do things like squats, lunges, calf raises, etc. When doing these exercises, focus on quick, explosive motions instead of the slow, powerlifting style. Strength + Quickness = Explosion!

3. Dedication! You have to get in the right mindset in order to see the Basketball1010pwjj@netscape that you are hoping for. This is the most difficult aspect of jump training. Do not get discouraged if you don't see any gains for a while. Just stick with it! If you are able to work past the plateau, you will be much further ahead than the people that quit when the work is too hard!

For a complete jump training system, check out The Jump Manual. This is the absolute best program to help you increase your vertical jump height fast!

7 Common Offensive Mistakes Made in Basketball

You can be the most athletic, talented basketball player in the world but if you don't know how to execute basketball play the game the way it should be, you'll struggle. There are players all over out there that are extremely gifted and as far as street-ball and pick-up games go, they dominate. The problem for some of them though is the fact that they never really had the patience to learn how to play in a system and excel in an organized league. Don't be that type of player. Continue to work on your skills but don't forget to study the game and improve your basketball intelligence. Coaches want smart players on the floor that don't make a lot of mistakes. If you're making mistakes you're riding the bench and not accomplishing anything.

This article touches on 7 of the most common mistakes players will make on offense. If you can cut down on these mistakes you'll be well on your way to getting more playing time so that you can showcase your skills.

#1 Too Much Dribble

It is much better to use the pass to advance the ball on offense. Never develop the habit of automatically dribbling once the ball comes to you. Look to pass to the open man first!

#2 Misuse of the Cross-Court Pass

A cross-court pass can be basketball helpful to an offense, especially when attacking a zone defense. It's also very dangerous and more often than not it is thrown prematurely and results in a turnover. If there is any doubt whatsoever, DON'T THROW IT!

#3 Taking too Early of a Shot

It can be very tempting sometimes to grab a rebound and then run down and spot up for an open three. The problem is it's not usually very smart. When the opposition has two or three defenders under the basket with good position and you still have teammates making their way down the court, it's just not a good shot to take. Slow it down and get in your offense. Make the defense work and give your team at least a chance to get an offensive rebound.

#4 Failure to Come to the Ball

When the defense is pressuring one of your teammate after they have picked up their dribble you must come to the ball to enable them to make the pass. Don't make cuts, don't go backdoor, come to the ball.

#5 Standing Still

Some players have only one thing that keeps them from being a dominant player, not knowing how to move without the ball. A good offensive player is constantly moving and looking to get into position to receive the ball. Don't run around like a chicken with your head cut off just make your defender work. Make cuts to the basket, come off screens aggressively and move around.

#6 Forcing Passes into the Post

It's always great to move the ball inside to your post players but too often the ball is thrown away while doing so. Make certain before the pass is thrown that it will not be deflected or stolen away. You can always move the ball around the perimeter until a post player opens up and there is no risk making the pass.

#7 Forgetting Plays/Offensive Sets

Forgetting a play or setting up in the wrong offense set once a season is somewhat acceptable. Forgetting a couple times per game is pathetic and will likely land you on the bench. You have to be aware of what's going on in the game at all times. If you have to constantly be reminded of what's going on, then you are a liability to your team. Your coach cannot afford to take the risk of having you on the floor causing chaos.

For more expert basketball instruction visit HoopSkills.com.