This title introduces fans to the best underdog stories in college basketball history, covering the highlights and characters involved in their greatest moments. The title features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a glossary, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. SportsZone is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.
Cinderella is an inside look at the NCAA's mid-major basketball programs. The rise of mid-majors has been one of the most thrilling sport stories of the past few years, and it's only getting bigger.
Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting to engage reluctant readers! When basketball fans hear the words Final Four, they probably think of the buzzer-beaters, Cinderella stories, and bracket-busters that have thrilled people for years. However, you don't need to be a die-hard fan to know that the NCAA men's basketball tournament is one of the most popular sports events in the United States. By the time the tournament of 64 teams has been whittled down to the Final Four, excitement reaches a fever pitch. From the first intercollegiate basketball game played in 1895 all the way to the thrills and drama of the most recent Final Four, read about the shocking moments and stunning upsets that give March Madness its name.
The NCAA tournament has always been an enormous spotlight for the underdog. Bracket-clenching fans root for teams from smaller schools to upset the elite squads and score an unexpected win on their tournament sheet...if they picked them, that is. And normally that's all the fans expect-one or two incredible upsets. But in 2006, the underdogs broke through... Cinderella is an inside look at the NCAA's mid-major basketball programs, which fight for one shot to battle the elite teams for the national championship. The rise of mid-majors has been one of the most thrilling sport stories of the past few years, and it's only getting bigger. Michael Litos spent the 2005-06 season on the frontlines of the Colonial Athletic Association, home of such mid-major standouts as Old Dominion, Hofstra, and George Mason. With complete access to coaches and players, he found incredible tales of pressure and passion. He saw coaches and players struggling to put together a championship drive in spite of uncompromising schedules and half-filled arenas. And he was there when the ultimate underdog turned the world of college basketball upside-down-George Mason's historic run to the Final Four. In what was dubbed "The Year of the Mid-major," Cinderella delivers the ultimate look at what it means to be an underdog, and how the sport of college basketball is being transformed. In the last great league of amateur athletes, this is the story those who play for the love of the game...and the thrill of achieving the unbelieveable
One of the biggest draws on the sports calendar, the NCAA men's basketball tournament routinely thrills fans with "bracket buster" upsets. From Loyola Marymount's emotional 1990 run following the death of team leader Hank Gathers to UMBC in 2018 becoming the first 16-seed to defeat a 1-seed, March Madness holds the sporting world captive for a few weeks each year and changes the lives of players. Drawing on dozens of original interviews, this book chronicles the tournament's many underdog tournament runs, with insights into the teams beyond their exploits on the hardwood.
This title introduces fans to the best underdog stories in NBA history, covering the highlights and characters involved in their greatest moments. The title features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a glossary, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. SportsZone is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.
The inspirational and touching story of Gonzaga's rise from college basketball obscurity to near mythic status as everyone's favorite underdog, this book was penned by acclaimed college basketball writer Bud Withers, who has covered the Zags since it all began. In dramatic fashion he reanimates the events of the last few years, adding flesh to the personalities and summoning the details, great and small, that make up this unforgettable story. Readers will meet players such as Blake Stepp, a blue chip high school recruit who selected Gonzaga because of what it wasn't; Dan Dickau, who became a first-round NBA pick in 2002 after becoming Gonzaga's first All-American player in the history of the men's basketball program; Dan Monson, the former coach who instilled a fearless attitude among the players and began Gonzaga's storied run; Mark Few, the current coach who has continued and expanded upon the program's great success; and Father Tony Lehmann, the school's longtime chaplain who died in March 2002, who was the inspirational leader of the basketball team. This book is a must read for any college basketball fan wanting to know more about Gonzaga, the team that makes deep runs into the NCAA tournament almost every year without compromising on the small-school values that still separate it from the basketball factories it terrorizes each March.
In the 1940s, before March Madness, the frenzy of the NBA draft, and multimilliondollar professional contracts, college basketball players played simply because they loved the game. This is the story of a group of kids who loved to play basketball: the underdog 1943-44 University of Utah men's basketball team and their unlikely path to the NCAA championship, who came out of nowhere to upset heavily favored Dartmouth for the title. Josh Ferrin and Tres Ferrin, grandson and son of Arnie Ferrin, both grew up hearing stories of Arnie's illustrious basketball career at the University of Utah. Josh established himself as an award-winning illustrator and author before deciding to research and write the story of Arnie's championship season. He resides in Bountiful, Utah, with his wife and two sons. Tres is a physical therapist who has practiced in the area of sports medicine for thirty-five years, an adjunct faculty member at Weber State University, and an avid cyclist. He and his wife, Sherry, live in Ogden, Utah. The original and unlikeliest of Cinderella stories
If You're Looking for the Blueprint to Guide You into Becoming a Pro, You've Arrived at the Right Place. You're about to Receive Advice from a Basketball Underdog Who Skyrocketed His Career and Is Now Ready to Help You. Every aspiring athlete trying to stand out and become the best they can be will benefit from this condensed information on everything you need to know as an underdog basketball player to succeed in the future.Cameron had to face an uphill battle to become a professional basketball player after coming from a small NCAA Division 2 program - and he won. He soon established himself as one of the finest scorers in the country, averaging 25 points per game in college.Cameron became a vital member of international basketball teams in Germany, Spain, and Australia over the next three years.The book will:Give you a behind-the-scenes look at how to acquire a college scholarshipTeach you about overseas contracts, agents, and the overall marketPrepare you mentally to find success as a basketball player.The goal of The Underdog's Blueprint is to teach young players the ins and outs of what it takes to become a professional basketball player, with the same passion and dedication that Cameron used to get through his toughest periods.This is the ultimate book to read if you're looking for the perfect tools for all athletes to stand out and reach the heights they were made for.Scroll up, click on "Buy Now with 1-Click," and Get Your Copy Now
Discover the David vs. Goliath rise of Catholic college basketball, from Villanova to Georgetown to Gonzaga, where small schools perennially shoot past the big power conference programs. In MIRACLES ON THE HARDWOOD, author John Gasaway traces the rise of Catholic college basketball—from its early days (Villanova made an appearance in the Final Four in the first NCAA tournament in 1939) to the dominance of the San Francisco Dons in the 1950s and the ascendance of powerhouses Georgetown, Villanova, and Gonzaga—through their decades-long rivalries and championship games. Featuring interviews with notable coaches, players, alums, and fans—including Loyola Chicago's most famous and dedicated fan, 100-year-old Sister Jean—to get at the heart of how these universities have excelled at this sport. Small in number but devout in the game's spirit, these teams have made the miraculous a matter of ritual, and their greatest works may be yet to come.
