The Ball State Daily News
After eliminating 64 teams down to 16, the NCAA tournament has brought tears to many office pools. A frenzy of 48 games in four days has seen only two out the four number one seeded teams make it to the Sweet 16. Where have all the number two teams gone? Only answer, Iowa State. The tournament has also seen five out of six Indiana teams take early exits, including our very own Ball State Cardinals.
It’s been a great tournament. I have heard some mighty funny things from some those who are not educated in the world of basketball. I can’t stop without finishing what I started. So I’ll dedicate today’s column to basketball for the very last time. So without further interruption, Basketball 101.
The Big Dance. It is not actually a dance, contrary to popular belief. I overheard one girl ask, “Where is Ball State going to have the big dance, the Arena?” No, this does not compute. In actuality the Big Dance is the NCAA men’s basketball tournament held at the end of March every year. The Big Dance is not a big social gathering on campuses around the country. No, not even square dancing. Hope we’re clear on that.
NIT. What does it stand for? National Invite Tournament. Most popular incorrectly used phrase, Not In Tournament. Yes, this is true, but not the right answer. The National Invite Tournament or NIT is a NCAA men’s basketball tournament held at the end of the season for those teams who did not make it into the field of 64 teams in the Big Dance.
Traveling. Used in basketball terms for walking with the ball without dribbling. Not to be confused with some type of road trip.
Rebounding. In basketball terms, gathering the ball from a missed shot. Not the type of social behavior many people engage in after a relationship ends. Ask Theron Smith about this one. He’s pretty good at it.
Cruchtime. When two to three minutes remains in a close basketball game. It is not the time when everyone should grab a snack. This amount of time usually lasts longer than the rest of the game. Upset. When a team of lower ranking beats a team of higher ranking. Used in sentence form: #8 North Carolina upset #1 Stanford Sunday. This is not a type of emotional distress. Well, it is but the terminology says otherwise.
Raising the roof. Hand motion a person might use in jubilation, this hand movement looks like a person is raising an object. The gesture is made with both hands. It really isn’t raising any roof of any kind. Don’t confuse it with “Hold it back,” or “Keep it down.”
Walk-on. A player on any given team that does not receive a scholarship for being on the team. This player had to tryout for the team instead of receiving a basketball scholarship. This person is often the crowd favorite. Ball State has one, Dave Galley. This player should not be confused with the slang term used in a fight when talking trash.
Underdog. This is not the cartoon character we all loved as a child or the name given to the kid who ran under the swing when we were all kids. Instead this word is used to describe the team that is not highly favored in a given matchup of basketball teams.
Sweet 16. The remaining 16 teams from the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. These 16 teams are often confused for the phrase used to describe somebody’s sixteenth birthday.
Final Four. The final four teams remaining in the NCAA tournament. Each team comes from their respective region. I don’t know what this could be confused with, but I’m sure somewhere that it is.
Bracketville. A fictional town created by Nike that represents the home of the NCAA tournament. Contrary to the beliefs of many, this town does not exist. The town is populated by players, coaches, mascots and basketball announcers. The state of Indiana is as close to reality as you can get to this fictional town.
Expect the unexpected. A motivating phrase used by Ray McCallum during this year’s season. Don’t confuse this with the way I end my articles.
Thanks for playing along today. So next time you use these terms be prepared to expect the unexpected.
Write to Scott at scottswain1@hotmail.com
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