History Of Basketball In 1891

Dylan Howard Named North Park University's Men's Basketball Coach

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Apr 25, 2011) - After reviewing 139 applicants and interviewing five finalists in a national search, North Park University introduced Dylan Howard as its new head men's basketball coach this week.

Howard, who most recently served as an assistant men's basketball coach at NCAA Division I Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) for the past three years, succeeds former head coach Paul Brenegan.

"This is a significant day in Viking athletics," stated North Park University director of athletics Dr. Jack Surridge. "We are thrilled that Coach Howard is joining our staff. He is a proven recruiter and program builder with a wide range of experience as a coach and player. We are confident that he will elevate the Viking men's basketball program."

"I am delighted that Coach Howard will be leading our men's basketball program. He clearly understands the North Park mission and vision and brings a great deal of successful experience to our team," said Dr. David Parkyn, North Park University President.

Howard, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., brings a wide array of experience to the Viking program. Before serving as an assistant at MVSU, he headed the men's basketball program at Hardin-Simmons University (HSU), an NCAA Division III institution, in Abilene, Texas. During his tenure, he guided the Cowboys' program in 2005 to their first ever ASC tournament appearance and he was named ASC "Coach of the Year." His team earned the number two ranking in the NCAA South Region when they finished with a school record 19 wins, including 16 conference wins. In 2007 Hardin-Simmons reached the ASC tournament championship for the first time in school history. Among his other accomplishments at Hardin-Simmons, Howard had 23 players named to the Academic All-Conference team, 16 players voted to the All-West Division team. Howard's team GPA at HSU was 2.9 and his graduation rate as a head coach over seven years was 100 percent.

"North Park University has one of the richest Division III traditions in the nation with five national championships and I am thrilled to be part of the Viking family. My dream has always been to get back to the Midwest where the best basketball in nation is played, especially Chicago," said Howard.

Prior to his successful stint at Hardin-Simmons, Howard served as an assistant men's basketball coach at Robert Morris University, a NCAA Division I institution in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pa., from 2000-01. There he was in charge of recruiting, post coaching, strength and conditioning and scheduling. In addition Howard had a successful stint as the head assistant coach at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he helped turn the program from an eight-win team in 1997, to 31 wins in 2000 and a number one national ranking. Howard played for the University of Alabama-Birmingham under the legendary Gene Bartow where as the team captain; he led the Blazers to the 1989 NIT Final Four as well as the 1986 and 1987 NCAA tournaments. From there he went on to play professionally in the Asian Professional Basketball Association in Taipei, Taiwan where he was a two-time All-League selection. In 2010 Howard was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Coach Howard and his wife Nicole have a daughter, Danielle Blanco, who attends Samford College and is currently ranked number two in the conference in the 400m hurdles.

A History Of Basketball | Aquarian Publishing

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Basketball is a game that is famous worldwide. There is no one around the world who does not know about basketball or even heard about the game. And nowadays, there are different leagues and governing bodies for the game; NBA being the most famous league and FIBA as the highest governing body. With its popularity, basketball is now being played in most parts of the worlds. The game is even included in the Olympics.

Though almost everyone knows the game, not all knows about the history of basketball. Perhaps only a portion of basketball fans know how basketball really begun and where. To better understand basketball and its history, here are the few important facts about it;

• James Naismith – he is the inventor of basketball. He is a Canadian educator as well as a sports recreationalist.

• 1891 – this was the year when James Naismith invented basketball.

• Springfield, Massachusetts – where the game was invented

Did You Know?

• That it took James Naismith and his team about 14 days to form the rules of basketball.

• That basketball was initially played using peach baskets as hoops.

• That it was then played with 9 players on the court per team.

•That the first ball use in basketball was actually a soccer ball.

Out of these developments, basketball evolved into the game that we know today. This evolution can be attributed to the committees and governing bodies of basketball.

The Birth of NBA

The history of basketball will never be complete without mentioning the introduction and development of the National Basketball Association or NBA. It was basically formed in 1946. In the early days of the NBA, though there have been lots of great players, it doesn’t enjoy the sophistication and popularity that it has today.

This changed in the late 50s and early 60s when Bill Russell entered the league. With Russell and the Boston Celtics, NBA received a new shine in the limelight as the team collected 8 successive championships. And in the 70s the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson matchup gave NBA a new height. Their team’s battle for an NBA reign fueled many peoples interest towards the game.

However, the fame and glory that NBA has today is much attributed to Michael Jordan in the 1980s up to the 1990s.

Basketball, Refined

Throughout the years, basketball has been polished; the rules were changed that only 5 players per team are now playing on the court. The peach baskets were also replaced by iron rims with nylon nets beneath. The point system was also refined. The soccer ball was replaced with an official basketball. Long range shooting or the three-point shot were also included in the game. This was not included in NBA games until 1979 and in NCAA until 1980. The American Basketball Association or ABA league was the first one to use this kind of shot.

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