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How to Write a Non-Cliche College Essay About Sports + Examples

What’s covered:, what makes a sports essay cliche.

• How To Make Your Sports Essay Unique

Great Examples of College Essays About Sports

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You’ve been brainstorming essay topics for your college applications, and you think you’ve finally found the right one: an extended metaphor likening your experience on the field with overcoming personal struggles. The problem: many other students have this same thought. 

The purpose of a college essay is to make yourself stand out as a unique individual, but when students write about sports, they often blend in. Because of that, students are usually advised to pick a different topic.

That being said, it is possible to write a non-cliche college essay about sports if you put in a little extra effort. Read along to learn how to make your sports essay different from all the other sports essays.

Sports essays are cliche when they follow a standard trajectory. Some of these trajectories include writing a story about:

• An agonizing defeat
• Forging bonds with teammates
• Overcoming adversity
• Overcoming an injury
• Refusing to quit
• Victory during a big game

Because sports essays have very similar themes and “lessons learned,” it can be difficult to make your story stand out. These trajectories also often focus too much on the sport or storyline, and not enough on the writer’s reflections and personality.

As you write your essay, try to think about what your experience says about you rather than what you learned from your experience. You are more than just one lesson you learned!

(Keep in mind that the sports essay is not the only college essay cliche. Learn about other essay cliches and how to fix them in our complete guide).

How to Make Your Sports Essay Unique

1. focus on a specific moment or reflection..

The college essay is a way for students to humanize themselves to admissions officers. You do not feel human if you are describing yourself as just another player on the field!

One important way to make your essay about you (not just about sports) is by focusing on a specific moment in time and inviting the reader to join you in that moment. Explain to the reader what it would be like to be sitting in that locker room as you questioned the values of the other players on your team. Ask your reader to sit with you on the cot in the trainer’s room as your identity was stripped away from you when they said “your body can’t take this anymore.” Bring your reader to the dinner table and involve them in your family’s conversation about how sports were affecting your mental health and your treatment of those around you.

Intense descriptions of a specific experience will evoke emotions in your reader and allow them to connect with you and feel for you.

When in doubt, avoid anything that can be covered by ESPN. On ESPN, we see the games, we see the benches, we even see the locker rooms and training rooms. Take your reader somewhere different and show them something unique.

2. Use sports to point out broader themes in your life.

The main risk when writing about sports is neglecting to write about yourself. Before you get started, think about the main values that you want to express in your sports essay. Sports are simply your avenue for telling the reader what makes you unique. 

As a test, imagine if you were a pianist. Would you be able to talk about these same values? What if you were a writer? Or a chemist? Articulating your values is the end, and sports should simply be your means.

Some values that you might want to focus on:

• Autonomy (you want to be able to set your mind to anything and achieve it on your own)
• Growth (you seek improvement constantly)
• Curiosity (you are willing to try anything once)
• Vulnerability (you aren’t afraid to fail, as long as you give it your all)
• Community (you value the feedback of others and need camaraderie to succeed)
• Craft (you think that with deliberate care, anything can be perfected)
• Responsibility (you believe that you owe something to those around you and perhaps they also owe something to you)

You can use the ESPN check again to make sure that you are using sports as an avenue to show your depth.

Things ESPN covers: how a player reacts to defeat, how injuries affect a player’s gameplay/attitude, how players who don’t normally work well together are working together on their new team.

Things ESPN doesn’t cover: the conversation that a player had with their mother about fear of death before going into a big surgery (value: family and connection), the ways that the intense pressure to succeed consumed a player to the point they couldn’t be there for the people in their life (value: supporting others and community), the body image issues that weigh on a player’s mind when playing their sport and how they overcame those (value: health and growth).

3. Turn a cliche storyline on its head.

There’s no getting around the fact that sports essays are often cliche. But there is a way to confront the cliche head-on. For example, lots of people write essays about the lessons they learned from an injury, victory, and so on, but fewer students explain how they are embracing those lessons. 

Perhaps you learned that competition is overwhelming for you and you prefer teamwork, so you switched from playing basketball to playing Dungeons & Dragons. Maybe, when your softball career ended abruptly, you had to find a new identity and that’s when you became obsessed with your flower garden and decided to pursue botany. Or maybe, you have stuck with football through it all, but your junior-year mental health struggle showed you that football should be fun and you have since started a nonprofit for local children to healthily engage with sports.

If your story itself is more cliche, try bringing readers to the present moment with you and show why the cliche matters and what it did for you. This requires a fair amount of creativity. Ensure you’re not parroting a frequently used topic by really thinking deeply to find your own unique spin.

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger. 

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual. 

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous. 

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée, while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.   

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers. 

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet. 

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable. 

Why it works:

What’s especially powerful about this essay is that the author uses detailed imagery to convey a picture of what they’re experiencing, so much so that the reader is along for the ride. This works as a sports essay not only because of the language and sensory details, but also because the writer focuses on a specific moment in time, while at the same time exploring why Taekwondo is such an important part of their life.

After the emotional image is created, the student finishes their essay with valuable reflection. With the reflection, they show admissions officers that they are mature and self-aware. Self-awareness comes through with statements like “surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become” and maturity can be seen through the student’s discussion of values “honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet.” These are the kinds of comments that should find their way into a sports essay!

“Advanced females ages 13 to 14 please proceed to staging with your coaches at this time.” Skittering around the room, eyes wide and pleading, I frantically explained my situation to nearby coaches. The seconds ticked away in my head; every polite refusal increased my desperation.

Despair weighed me down. I sank to my knees as a stream of competitors, coaches, and officials flowed around me. My dojang had no coach, and the tournament rules prohibited me from competing without one.

Although I wanted to remain strong, doubts began to cloud my mind. I could not help wondering: what was the point of perfecting my skills if I would never even compete? The other members of my team, who had found coaches minutes earlier, attempted to comfort me, but I barely heard their words. They couldn’t understand my despair at being left on the outside, and I never wanted them to understand.

Since my first lesson 12 years ago, the members of my dojang have become family. I have watched them grow up, finding my own happiness in theirs. Together, we have honed our kicks, blocks, and strikes. We have pushed one another to aim higher and become better martial artists. Although my dojang had searched for a reliable coach for years, we had not found one. When we attended competitions in the past, my teammates and I had always gotten lucky and found a sympathetic coach. Now, I knew this practice was unsustainable. It would devastate me to see the other members of my dojang in my situation, unable to compete and losing hope as a result. My dojang needed a coach, and I decided it was up to me to find one. 

I first approached the adults in the dojang – both instructors and members’ parents. However, these attempts only reacquainted me with polite refusals. Everyone I asked told me they couldn’t devote multiple weekends per year to competitions. I soon realized that I would have become the coach myself.

At first, the inner workings of tournaments were a mystery to me. To prepare myself for success as a coach, I spent the next year as an official and took coaching classes on the side. I learned everything from motivational strategies to technical, behind-the-scenes components of Taekwondo competitions. Though I emerged with new knowledge and confidence in my capabilities, others did not share this faith.

Parents threw me disbelieving looks when they learned that their children’s coach was only a child herself. My self-confidence was my armor, deflecting their surly glances. Every armor is penetrable, however, and as the relentless barrage of doubts pounded my resilience, it began to wear down. I grew unsure of my own abilities.

Despite the attack, I refused to give up. When I saw the shining eyes of the youngest students preparing for their first competition, I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was. The knowledge that I could solve my dojang’s longtime problem motivated me to overcome my apprehension.

Now that my dojang flourishes at competitions, the attacks on me have weakened, but not ended. I may never win the approval of every parent; at times, I am still tormented by doubts, but I find solace in the fact that members of my dojang now only worry about competing to the best of their abilities.

Now, as I arrive at a tournament with my students, I close my eyes and remember the past. I visualize the frantic search for a coach and the chaos amongst my teammates as we compete with one another to find coaches before the staging calls for our respective divisions. I open my eyes to the exact opposite scene. Lacking a coach hurt my ability to compete, but I am proud to know that no member of my dojang will have to face that problem again.

In the beginning, you might think this is another cliche sports essay about overcoming adversity. But instead, it becomes a unique statement and coming-of-age tale that reads as a suspenseful narrative. 

The author connects their experience with martial arts to larger themes in their life but manages to do so without riffing off of tried-and-true themes. Through statements like “I knew I couldn’t let them down. To quit would be to set them up to be barred from competing like I was” we learn about the students values and their desire to be there for those who depend on them. 

The student also brings it full circle, demonstrating their true transformation. By using the “Same, but Different” ending technique , the student places themself in the same environment that we saw in the intro, but experiences it differently due to their actions throughout the narrative. This is very compelling!

“1…2…3…4 pirouettes! New record!” My friends cheered as I landed my turns. Pleased with my progress, I gazed down at my worn-out pointe shoes. The sweltering blisters, numbing ice-baths, and draining late-night practices did not seem so bad after all. Next goal: five turns.

For as long as I can remember, ballet, in all its finesse and glamor, had kept me driven day to day. As a child, the lithe ballerinas, donning ethereal costumes as they floated across the stage, were my motivation. While others admired Messi and Adele, I idolized Carlos Acosta, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet. 

As I devoted more time and energy towards my craft, I became obsessed with improving my technique. I would stretch for hours after class, forcing my leg one inch higher in an effort to mirror the Dance Magazine cover girls. I injured my feet and ruined pair after pair of pointe shoes, turning on wood, cement, and even grass to improve my balance as I spun. At competitions, the dancers with the 180-degree leg extensions, endless turns, and soaring leaps—the ones who received “Bravos!” from the roaring audience—further pushed me to refine my skills and perfect my form. I believed that, with enough determination, I would one day attain their level of perfection. Reaching the quadruple-pirouette milestone only intensified my desire to accomplish even more. 

My efforts seemed to have come to fruition two summers ago when I was accepted to dance with Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet at their renowned New York City summer intensive. I walked into my first session eager to learn from distinguished ballet masters and worldly dancers, already anticipating my improvement. Yet, as I danced alongside the accomplished ballerinas, I felt out of place. Despite their clean technique and professional training, they did not aim for glorious leg extensions or prodigious leaps. When they performed their turn combinations, most of them only executed two turns as I attempted four. 

“Dancers, double-pirouettes only.” 

Taken aback and confused, I wondered why our teacher expected so little from us. The other ballerinas seemed content, gracing the studio with their simple movements. 

As I grew closer with my Moscow roommates, I gradually learned that their training emphasized the history of the art form instead of stylistic tricks. Rather than show off their physical ability, their performances aimed to convey a story, one that embodied the rich culture of ballet and captured both the legacy of the dancers before them and their own artistry. As I observed my friends more intently in repertoire class, I felt the pain of the grief-stricken white swan from Swan Lake, the sass of the flirtatious Kitri from Don Quijote, and I gradually saw what I had overlooked before. My definition of talent had been molded by crowd-pleasing elements—whirring pirouettes, gravity-defying leaps, and mind-blowing leg extensions. This mindset slowly stripped me from the roots of my passion and my personal connection with ballet. 

With the Bolshoi, I learned to step back and explore the meaning behind each step and the people behind the scenes. Ballet carries history in its movements, from the societal values of the era to each choreographer’s unique flair. As I uncovered the messages behind each pirouette, kick, and jump, my appreciation for ballet grew beyond my obsession with raw athleticism and developed into a love for the art form’s emotive abilities in bridging the dancers with the audience. My journey as an artist has allowed me to see how technical execution is only the means to a greater understanding between dancer and spectator, between storyteller and listener. The elegance and complexity of ballet does not revolve around astonishing stunts but rather the evocative strength and artistry manifested in the dancer, in me. It is the combination of sentiments, history, tradition, and passion that has allowed ballet and its lessons of human connection to become my lifestyle both on and off stage.

This essay is about lessons. While the author is a dancer, this narrative isn’t really about ballet, per se — it’s about the author’s personal growth. It is purposefully reflective as the student shows a nice character arc that begins with an eager young ballerina and ends with a reflection on their past. The primary strength of this essay is the honesty and authenticity that the student approaches it with.

In the end, the student turns a cliche on its head as they embrace the idea of overcoming adversity and demonstrate how the adversity, in this case, was their own stereotypes about their art. It’s beautiful!

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

This essay uses the idea of sports to explore a more profound topic—growing through relationships. They really embrace using sports as an avenue to tell the reader about a specific experience that changed the way they approach the world. 

The emphasis on relationships is why this essay works well and doesn’t fall into a cliche. The narrator grows not because of their experience with track but because of their relationship with their coach, who inspired them to evolve and become a leader.

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Chapter 2: Literacies at work, for fun, and at school

2.7.3 Communication in basketball: More vital than thought to be (prospectus)

Anonymous English 102 Writer

For my research essay I plan on continuing with the topic of communication in basketball. I am choosing to write about this topic as I have always enjoyed not just watching sports but playing along with learning the different aspects of different sports. More specifically though, in this paper I will focus on basketball and the communication along with different literacy practices that are used throughout the sport of basketball. Such as posing questions like “What kind of literacy practices do basketball players use?” or “What kinds of research has been done on basketball communication?”

Academic fields that have a special interest in a topic such as this one is fields psychology, sports sciences, and coaching along with management. These fields are all something that has some sort of connection to that of sports including basketball. Coaching and management are the obvious one for being interested in this topic as this directly relates to them. Sports science has an interest in communication in basketball as sports science will relate to all different aspects of science through sport which could include the psychology of players or the effect communication can have on a game or team.

Communication in basketball while it may not seem like there is much relation between the topic and writing studies. There is it just is not presented up front or necessarily seen by people in the public. It is more behind the scenes where you will see the communication and writing come to life. The most communication that you will see as an outsider of basketball is during the game and that is between timeouts and during the game with the talking and communicating between players and coaches. However, outside of the games there is many other times where there is communication between players and coaches whether it be in film or in practices. Overall, without having communication in basketball between the players and coaches you are ultimately setting yourself and team up for disaster as it is one of the vital roles that is needed along with talent to ensure a successful team. Basketball communication is influential in other sports also as you often will find terms that originated or are mostly used in basketball will sometimes get used in other sports. An example of how this is used is the term “boxout” is often used or related towards the sport of basketball. However, that term of “boxout” is also used in football in relation to receivers “boxing out” the defender to keep them away from making a break on the football as easy.

To begin this paper, I will begin with an introduction that will introduce the topic of communication in basketball along with the reasoning for writing this paper. I will then introduce what academic fields have an interest in this topic which can be found in the paragraph above. The personal connection that I have to this topic will then be discussed next along with personal experiences that I have had while being a part of basketball and the communication aspect of it. Then I will end it with the thesis statement to help lead into my first body paragraph. Communication and literacy in basketball can play a large role in the success of a team.

To address my first research question of “What kind of literacy practices do basketball players use?” I will start off with the different types of communication that go on during a basketball game. In doing this I start off by using the source, “Using Non-Verbal Communication in Sports” along with a source of “The Discourse of Basketball.” The last source that will be used is “BODILY COMMUNICATION IN BASKETBALL” which covers another area of communication in basketball and that is being able to read the opponents body language along with your own teammates body language. This will help describe the communication that goes on in a game and practices between players and coaches. To help with the understanding of discourses I will also use an article by James Gee called “What is Literacy.” With how communication is used in basketball now known I will use more sources to help give examples of different examples of communication used in basketball. The first source I will use is Jeff Haefner’s article “How to Develop Great Defensive Communication” along with Kyle Ohman’s “The Value of Communication in Basketball” and Christopher Riches “Defining Communication Between Half Court Defenders.” I will use different examples from these three articles on communication that gets used between players and coaches to help them throughout a game. Continuing on with this topic of communication between players I will explain the importance that having these good communication skills and words can help boost a team. In not only helping each other out but could ultimately lead to a win for your team. This will then lead me to my next research question.

My second research question is “What kinds of research has been done on basketball communication?” I will discuss how this research is able to show how it can help along with a team and the success they have. To help support this statement I will the source by Phillip Furley and Geoffrey Schweizer “I’m Pretty Sure that We Will Win! The Influence of Score-Related Nonverbal Behavior Changes on the Confidence in Winning a Basketball Game.” along with Michael J. Rifenburg’s article “The Literate Practices of a Division II Men’s Team.” These two articles will help show how communication has impacted their teams along with showing the research done for their articles. Moving onto the psychological factor that communication gives to a team which can be overlooked while assessing a team. I can use personal experience to help demonstrate how psychological teams can beat themselves even if they are better than the other team. The source of “Coaches’ Use of Positive Tactile Communication in Collegiate Basketball.” Along with the source of “Team Coordination in Basketball: Description of Cognitive Connections Among Teammates.” The use of communication in some sort of relation to the previous sources of being able to bring a group of players together even if they are not all in relation to the same ethnicity or culture. Robin Bell and Carlos F. Riol’s article “The Impact of Cross-Cultural Communication on Collective Efficacy in NCAA Basketball Teams.” Being able to have a team that can get along and understand each other is very important in having success as a team.

Following the second research question, I will start to summarize what was discussed between the first and second research question. Pulling out the main ideas from the two paragraphs and going into more detail while explaining them more as compared to the importance to communication in basketball. I will then combine this stuff into the conclusion paragraph of the paper where I restate the thesis and main ideas that I wanted to get across as discussed in the beginning. The main idea is just how important communication in basketball is between not only the success of a team but how well cohesively they are between each other. As communication will often bring teams closer together and help the chemistry between them.

Annotated Bibliography

Alexander, Danielle, et al. “Coaches’ Use of Positive Tactile Communication in Collegiate Basketball.”  International Sport Coaching Journal  (2021): 91-100

Through this article it was discussed on how using positive communication between the coach and players can increase the performance of players. In it would also talk about how bonds between teammates grows stronger with the more positive communication rather than the use of negative communication. By the end of the study the researchers had found that in fact positive communication does in fact strengthen the bond between players and coaches. Along with increased performance by the players through practices and games.

Bell, Robin and Carlos F. Riol. “The Impact of Cross-Cultural Communication on Collective Efficacy in NCAA Basketball Teams.”  International Journal of Cross Cultural Management  (2017): 175-195

From the article by Bell and Riol it describes how being able to communicate in basketball through different cultures of languages can benefit those in power of coaching. It would take into account different communication factors and how effective they were shown throughout practices and games between the coaches and players. Through the research it was determined that those teams that had “cross-cultural” factors strongest had the higher effectiveness rating compared to that of teams that did not have strong “cross-cultural” factors.

Bourbousson, Jerome, et al. “Team Coordination in Basketball: Description of Cognitive Connections Among Teammates.”  Journal of Applied Sport Psychology  (2010): 150-166.

Being discussed in this article is how teammates communicate with each other while playing in a game. It was determined that most players have one player that they prefer to communicate with while on the floor. They still all would communicate with one another while being on the floor just not as much as they did with others. It would also go on to show how the players communicated with coaches between hand signals or verbal communication.

Furley, Phillip and Geoffrey Schweizer. “I’m Pretty Sure that We Will Win! The Influence of Score-Related Nonverbal Behavior Changes on the Confidence in Winning a Basketball Game.”  Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology  (2014): 316-320.

In this article by Furley and Schweizer, they would take basketball players and have them watch film from another game while watching the “nonverbal behavior” that was being shown by the players. Through the research they would find that there were distinct differences in the way that players conducted themselves throughout the games on if they were winning or losing. Body language would be present in this article as the main focus of communication; however, it was more so part of demonstrating how you and your team are doing in the game.

Gee, James. “What is Literacy.”  Journal of Education  (1989): 18-25

Gee’s article implements communication through the article by bringing up discourses. There was primary discourse, secondary discourse, and dominant discourse. The primary discourse is communication that you learn from living within your household. Secondary discourse though was learning communication language outside of your household. Dominant discourse unlike the others is a language that is more for people with wealth and not everyone will learn how to speak and communicate with that language.

Haefner, Jeff. “How to Develop Great Defensive Communication.” 1 February 2010.  USA Basketball . 15 March 2021.

The article by Jeff Haefner, discusses on how teams can have effective communication in basketball along with different ways to improve the communication. Through effective communication Haefner described examples of communication words that are used while in a game such as saying “Screen” or “Skip”. While discussing how communication can be improved it details drills or different ways to incorporate it while practicing. Defense was described as the side of basketball that was most important in the game, while even though it is important on offense it is more important on defense.

Ohman, Kyle. “The Value of Communication in Basketball.” n.d.  Basketball HQ . 15 March 2021.

The article by Ohman is talking about the different aspects that are taken into account with the importance of having communication in basketball. It goes on discussing how and when the communication needs to take place whether it is making sure it is loud communication or having relevance in the communication. Communication in basketball creates different responsibilities for different players throughout a team and in doing so creates accountability for the players that are on the basketball court.

Raiola, Gaetano, et al. “BODILY COMMUNICATION IN BASKETBALL”  Sport Science 8  (2015):13-18.

In this article, the authors describe how “bodily communication” is used by players to each other and portrays there feeling during the game. They would run research of players throughout a game and the way they reacted to certain things or events. Also taken into account through the article was how players would read the oppositions body in order to anticipate what the opposition might be trying to do. Overall, for the article “bodily communication” can one form of communication for teams and players while it may be good or bad for yourself and team.

Riches, Christopher. “Defining Communication Between Half Court Defenders.” n.d.  Functional Basketball Coaching . 15 March 2021.

The article by Christopher Riches, “Defining Communication Between Half Court Defenders” narrows down communication in basketball strictly to how there is communication while playing defense in the half court. This article describes different examples of communication that is used between the players while playing defense. The use of these terms by the team ensure that everyone is on the same page while communicating on defense. So that way there are not as many mix ups between the teammates on what is going on.

Rifenburg, Michael J. “The Literate Practices of a Division II Men’s Basketball Team.”  Grassroots Writing Research Journal  (2016): 55-64

Rifenburg in his article studies how a Division II basketball team uses different literacy practices throughout the team along with how it affects the team and their performance. The article shows some of the different literacy practices that there are used in basketball such as writing and reading plays. It described how also communication was handled while playing games along with timeouts, when plays would be getting wrote down or discussing things that could be improved on in the game.

“The Discourse of Basketball.” 4 December 2015.  Medium.  15 March 2021.

The article, “The Discourse of Basketball” discusses the different discourses that are seen throughout basketball. It then demonstrates how communication in basketball is none of the three primary forms of discourse but rather it is non dominant secondary discourse. The article relates back throughout on the topic of James Paul Gee’s, “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction” which is where the article gets the idea of discourse. The idea of not only verbal communication being important in basketball but also non-verbal communication such as hand signals being important.

“Using Non-Verbal Communication in Sports.” 17 April 2009.  Communication in the Sports World.  15 March 2021.

The article, “Using Non-Verbal Communication in Sports” discusses the different ways that communication is used non verbally in sports. While breaking it down into different sports between football, baseball, and basketball and the communication that is used non verbally. For basketball, they use an example of hand signals between the coach and players on how that is a form of communication non verbally. It describes how also the effects of non verbal communication can lead to the success of a team.

Understanding Literacy in Our Lives by Anonymous English 102 Writer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Michael Jordan: The Story of a Basketball Player Research Paper

Introduction, childhood years, a step away from death, between basketball and baseball, beginning of the brightest career, chicago bulls.

Michael Jordan could have been a baseball player but chose basketball. With his help, Chicago Bulls won their first title which was later followed by a complete three-peat. Two years after his first retirement, Jordan returned to Chicago to help the team that had lost their leading positions. Michael won three more champion titles with Chicago Bulls and eventually departed the club. Jordan is the winner of many individual awards; his main achievement is the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, which he received five times. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was honored with this prize more times than Jordan. Michael’s athletic qualities can be proved not only by the trophies he won but also by the magnitude of advertising contracts, many of which were valid even after Jordan retired. In 2017, Forbes named Jordan as the highest-paid athlete in history. There were many obstacles in the way to his success. At the peak of his form, Jordan lost his father and left basketball. The life of Michael Jordan is a story of struggle followed by success. This paper will discuss the path of one of the best basketball players in history to glory.

Michael was born into a large family – he is the fourth of the five children in the family, and his parents are James and Deloris Jordan. Before the birth of Michael, James served in the US Armed Forces (Lazenby, 2014). Michael was a disobedient child as he liked to do the opposite of what he was told. Jordan always accepted the challenges and often faced trouble because of such a character (The Associated Press, 2015). For instance, when he was four years old, Michael argued with his cousin. The latter offered Jordan a bet – he would pay a dollar if Michael chopped off his toe (Hasday, 2013). Jordan did not want to seem like a coward and accepted the proposal. Although Michael did not lose his body part, he could not avoid physical damage.

In school years, another problem was discovered – Michael was not a hardworking child. Jordan did not want to work and eluded from household chores. One summer, Deloris got her son a job at a hotel, where he had to serve the rooms (James, 2017). The experience was negative – Michael was constantly late and decided never to look for a job again. Discipline problems led Jordan to a temporary expulsion from school (The Associated Press, 2015). Michael left the school without permission to visit a nearby store and was suspended from classes for several days (Lazenby, 2014). Michael became more responsible in high school, where he improved his discipline and academic performance.

At the age of two, Michael nearly died from an electric shock. He touched the junction of two extension cords lying on wet grass. The strike was intense, and the child was thrown back a couple of meters (James, 2017). At the age of seven or eight, Michael almost drowned. Together with his close friend, they swam in the ocean (Hasday, 2013). When the children were far from the shore, a breaking wave emerged (Hasday, 2013). It covered his friend and dragged him to the bottom. Michael managed to survive, but his friend, unfortunately, died (Hasday, 2013). For this reason, Michael was always afraid of water (Hasday, 2013). Later, he could become a water’s victim again – when he was 11 years old, he nearly drowned while trying to pass the mandatory swimming test at school (Hasday, 2013). Jordan did not know how to swim, but still went into the water and made his attempt.

Michael’s father loved baseball and wanted to introduce children to his favorite sport. When the children were old enough to be able to hold a bat in their hands, he began to bring them into the yard and throw a baseball (Lazenby, 2014). Boys from the Jordan family played in the children’s baseball league at the age of five or six. Michael looked well on a baseball court, and the coaches predicted a professional career. From the age of nine, Jordan became interested in basketball. His older brother, Larry, contributed significantly to Michael’s interest (Lazenby, 2014). Father placed a basketball hoop for Larry in the yard, and Michael and Larry played one on one. In high school, Michael finally switched from baseball to basketball (Lazenby, 2014). Michael’s baseball career at the time began to decline. Jordan began to spend more time on the basketball court. Michael realized that basketball is precisely the kind of sport he wanted to practice.

There were no tall people in the Jordan family, and Michael was no exception. Short stature substantially interfered with Jordan – when Michael was 15 years old, he was not accepted into the high school basketball team due to his height (The Associated Press, 2015). In the eleventh grade, the grown-up Michael was eventually taken to the basketball team (James, 2017). There he was noticed by an assistant coach of the Tar Heels team of the University of North Carolina. The specialist immediately appreciated the talent of the young player (James, 2017). During his time at the university, Michael grew even more (The Associated Press, 2015). When Jordan began to play in the NBA, his height was 198 cm.

In Jordan’s first game for the Tar Heels team at the University of North Carolina, his team beat Kansas with a score of 74:67, where Michael brought his team 12 points (Basketball Reference, 2020). Besides this first match, the whole season can be considered successful. Tar Heels reached the finals, where they beat Georgetown with a score of 63:62. Jordan’s toss into the final 15 seconds of the game brought the team victory in the game and the season (Basketball Reference, 2020).

Before Jordan came to Chicago Bulls in 1984, the team was without champion ambitions. With the arrival of Michael, the new owner and the new management came (The Associated Press, 2015). The idea was to build a new team around Jordan, and this plan was successful (The Associated Press, 2015). Michael quickly became the star of the Chicago Bulls. In the first season in the NBA, Michael averaged 28.2 points per game in the regular season and 29.2 in the playoffs (Basketball Reference, 2020). These were the best indicators in the team, and in 1985, Michael received the Rookie of the Year Award (The Associated Press, 2015). Jordan could be distinguished from the crowd of other basketball players by his trademark jump. He seemed to hang in the air for a few seconds and earned the nickname Air Jordan and His Airness (The Associated Press, 2015). Michael’s nickname was quickly monetized – in 1984, Jordan entered into an advertising contract with Nike.

Jordan won his first NBA title in 1991 and managed to win the league for three consecutive years – 1991, 1992, and 1993. After his father’s murder in 1994, however, Jordan decided to retire from basketball (The Associated Press, 2015). With Michael’s departure, Chicago Bulls could not achieve any success. In 1995, Jordan decided to return to basketball, but the season was almost over, so he could not make any significant contributions to Chicago Bulls’ performance (The Associated Press, 2015). A year later, however, Michael helped his team start their path to the second three-peat. Chicago Bulls became champions in 1996, 1997, and 1998, and Jordan’s participation in this three-year success is colossal (The Associated Press, 2015). He retired for the second time in 1999, and although he came back two years later to play for Washington Wizards, he could not manage to win another title. In 2003, Jordan ended his basketball career for the last time.

The story of Jordan is full of effort, determination, and success. Despite facing many obstacles in his life, Jordan managed to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In his youth, Michael was short and could not qualify for school basketball teams. Several times, Michael almost faced a tragic ending – in childhood, he nearly drowned twice. However, Jordan always persevered, and his persistence granted him and Chicago Bulls two three-peats. He is one of the best players in the history of both the Chicago Bulls and basketball in general.

Basketball Reference. (2020). Michael Jordan stats . Basketball Reference.

Hasday, J. (2013). Michael Jordan (Modern role models) . Mason Crest.

James, S. (2017). Michael Jordan: A unique insight into the career and mindset of Michael Jordan . CreateSpace.

Lazenby, R. (2014). Michael Jordan: The life . Little, Brown and Company.

The Associated Press. (2015). Michael Jordan: Beyond the court. Mango Media.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, September 6). Michael Jordan: The Story of a Basketball Player. https://ivypanda.com/essays/michael-jordan-the-story-of-a-basketball-player/

"Michael Jordan: The Story of a Basketball Player." IvyPanda , 6 Sept. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/michael-jordan-the-story-of-a-basketball-player/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Michael Jordan: The Story of a Basketball Player'. 6 September.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Michael Jordan: The Story of a Basketball Player." September 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/michael-jordan-the-story-of-a-basketball-player/.

1. IvyPanda . "Michael Jordan: The Story of a Basketball Player." September 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/michael-jordan-the-story-of-a-basketball-player/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Michael Jordan: The Story of a Basketball Player." September 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/michael-jordan-the-story-of-a-basketball-player/.

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2019 Theses Doctoral

Essays in Basketball Analytics

Keshri, Suraj Kumar

With the increasing popularity and competition in professional basketball in the past decade, data driven decision has emerged as a big competitive edge. The advent of high frequency player tracking data from SportVU has enabled a rigorous analysis of player abilities and interactions that was not possible before. The tracking data records two-dimensional x-y coordinates of 10 players on the court as well as the x-y-z coordinates of the ball at a resolution of 25 frames per second, yielding over 1 billion space-time observations over the course of a full season. This dissertation offers a collection of spatio-temporal models and player evaluation metrics that provide insight into the player interactions and their performance, hence allowing the teams to make better decisions. Conventional approaches to simulate matches have ignored that in basketball the dynamics of ball movement is very sensitive to the lineups on the court and unique identities of players on both offense and defense sides. In chapter 2, we propose the simulation infrastructure that can bridge the gap between player identity and team level network. We model the progression of a basketball match using a probabilistic graphical model. We model every touch event in a game as a sequence of transitions between discrete states. We treat the progression of a match as a graph, where each node represents the network structure of players on the court, their actions, events, etc., and edges denote possible moves in the game flow. Our results show that either changes in the team lineup or changes in the opponent team lineup significantly affects the dynamics of a match progression. Evaluation on the match data for the 2013-16 NBA season suggests that the graphical model approach is appropriate for modeling a basketball match. NBA teams value players who can ``stretch'' the floor, i.e. create space on the court by drawing their defender(s) closer to themselves. Clearly, this ability to attract defenders varies across players, and furthermore, this effect may also vary by the court location of the offensive player, and whether or not the player is the ball handler. For instance, a ball-handler near the basket attracts a defender more when compared to a non ball-handler at the 3 point line. This has a significant effect on the defensive assignment. This is particularly important because defensive assignment has become the cornerstone of all tracking data based player evaluation models. In chapter 3, we propose a new model to learn player and court location specific offensive attraction. We show that offensive players indeed have varying ability to attract the defender in different parts of the court. Using this metric, teams can evaluate players to construct a roster or lineup which maximizes spacing. We also improve upon the existing defensive matchup inference algorithm for SportVU data. While the ultimate goal of the offense is to shoot the ball, the strategy lies in creating good shot opportunities. Offensive play event detection has been a topic of research interest. Current research in this area have used a supervised learning approach to detect and classify such events. We took an unsupervised learning approach to detect these events. This has two inherent benefits: first, there is no need for pretagged data to learn identifying these events which is a lobor intensive and error prone task; second, an unsupervised approach allows us to detect events that has not been tagged yet i.e. novel events. We use a HMM based approach to detect these events at any point in the time during a possession by specifying the functional form of the prior distribution on the player movement data. We test our framework on detecting ball screen, post up, and drive. However, it can be easily extended to events like isolation or a new event that has certain distinct defensive matchup or player movement feature compared to a non event. This is the topic for chapter 4. Accurate estimation of the offensive and the defensive abilities of players in the NBA plays a crucial role in player selection and ranking. A typical approach to estimate players' defensive and offensive abilities is to learn the defensive assignment for each shot and then use a random effects model to estimate the offensive and defensive abilities for each player. The scalar estimate from the random effects model can then be used to rank player. In this approach, a shot has a binary outcome, either it is made or it is a miss. This approach is not able to take advantage of the “quality” of the shot trajectory. In chapter 5, we propose a new method for ranking players that infers the quality of a shot trajectory using a deep recurrent neural network, and then uses this quality measure in a random effects model to rank players taking defensive matchup into account. We show that the quality information significantly improves the player ranking. We also show that including the quality of shots increases the separation between the learned random effect coefficients, and thus, allows for a better differentiation of player abilities. Further, we show that we are able to infer changes in the player's ability on a game-by-game basis when using a trajectory based model. A shot based model does not have enough information to detect changes in player's ability on a game-by-game basis. A good defensive player prevents its opponent from making a shot, attempting a good shot, making an easy pass, or scoring events, eventually leading to wasted shot clock time. The salient feature here is that a good defender prevents events. Consequently, event driven metrics, such as box scores, cannot measure defensive abilities. Conventional wisdom in basketball is that ``pesky'' defenders continuously maintain a close distance to the ball handler. A closely guarded offensive player is less likely to take or make a shot, less likely to pass, and more likely to lose the ball. In chapter 6, we introduce Defensive Efficiency Rating (DER), a new statistic that measures the defensive effectiveness of a player. DER is the effective distance a defender maintains with the ball handler during an interaction where we control for the identity and wingspan of the the defender, the shot efficiency of the ball handler, and the zone on the court. DER allows us to quantify the quality of defensive interaction without being limited by the occurrence of discrete and infrequent events like shots and rebounds. We show that the ranking from this statistic naturally picks out defenders known to perform well in particular zones.

• Operations research
• Sports--Statistical methods
• Basketball players--Ability testing
• Simulation methods
• Sports--Mathematical models
• Basketball players--Rating of

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105 Basketball Research Paper Topics You Need to Know

Dec 23, 2022 | 0 comments

Dec 23, 2022 | Topics | 0 comments

Basketball is a popular sport with a rich history and a strong following worldwide. There are many interesting topics to write about that you could explore in a basketball research paper, whether you are a fan of the sport or want to learn more about it. Here are basketball research paper topics that you may want to consider:

Best Basketball Research Paper topics

• The development of female basketball and the challenges faced by female players
• The history of high school basketball and its impact on young athletes
• The evolution of college basketball and the role of NCAA rules and regulations
• People who have contributed to the growth and success of basketball, including coaches, players, and administrators
• The media’s influence on basketball and the way it is portrayed in popular culture
• The positive and negative impacts of basketball on players and communities
• The role of cross-gender coaching in the development of basketball players
• The benefits of playing basketball, including physical, mental, and social benefits
• The impact of sporting events like the Olympics and World Cup on the popularity of basketball
• The history of professional basketball and the evolution of leagues like the NBA
• The role of figures in the basketball world, including players, coaches, and administrators
• The importance of defense and strategies for defending ball screens
• The role of team dynamics in the success of a basketball team
• The psychology of professional basketball players and how it affects their performance
• The history of basketball and its evolution from a simple game to a global phenomenon
• The social and cultural significance of basketball in different parts of the world
• The impact of technology on basketball, including the use of video analysis and performance tracking
• The role of nutrition and training in the development of basketball players
• The influence of coaches on the success of a basketball team and the strategies they use
• The role of statistics in analyzing and evaluating basketball players and teams

Simple Basketball Research Paper topics

• The use of analytics in scouting and recruiting players for college and professional teams
• The impact of injuries on the performance and careers of basketball players
• The role of mental toughness and resilience in the success of basketball players
• The impact of social media on the careers and public image of basketball players
• The role of sponsorships and endorsements in the business of basketball
• The importance of leadership and teamwork in the success of a basketball team
• The impact of gender and cultural diversity on the success of a basketball team
• The influence of coaches and trainers on the development of young basketball players
• The role of psychology in helping basketball players overcome challenges and achieve success
• The impact of coaching style and philosophy on the success of a basketball team
• The role of psychology in helping basketball players cope with pressure and adversity
• The impact of parental involvement on the development and success of young basketball players
• The role of nutrition and training in the prevention of injuries in basketball
• The impact of mental toughness and resilience on the performance of basketball players
• The influence of social media on the public image and reputation of basketball players
• The role of sponsorships and endorsements in the marketing and promotion of basketball
• The importance of teamwork and communication in the success of a basketball team
• The impact of gender and cultural diversity on the dynamics of a basketball team
• The role of leadership in the success of a basketball team and the strategies used by coaches to develop leaders
• The influence of coaching style and philosophy on the performance and success of a basketball team
• The impact of parental involvement on the development and performance of young basketball players

Interesting Basketball Research Paper topics

• The development of female basketball and the challenges faced by female players.
• The role of high school basketball in the development of young players.
• The differences between college basketball and professional basketball.
• The people who have contributed to the growth and evolution of basketball, such as James Naismith, Wilt Chamberlain, and Michael Jordan.
• The media’s influence on basketball, including the impact of televised games and social media.
• The ways basketball can affect individuals and communities include physical health, mental health, and social connections.
• The benefits of playing basketball include physical exercise, teamwork, and personal growth.
• The history of basketball includes the game’s origin and evolution over time.
• The role of national basketball leagues, such as the NBA and WNBA, in promoting the sport globally.
• The art of defending ball screens and how it has evolved.
• The negative impacts of basketball include the potential for injury and the impact on physical health.
• The controversy is surrounding cross-gender coaching in basketball.
• The importance of team dynamics in a successful basketball team.
• The lives of professional basketball players, including their training regimes, personal lives, and the challenges they face.
• The evolution of basketball equipment, including the development of shoes and other gear.
• The role of statistics in basketball, including the use of advanced metrics and data analysis.
• The impact of social media on basketball players and teams.
• The influence of international players on the sport of basketball.
• The role of sponsorships and endorsements in the world of professional basketball.
• The importance of mental toughness in basketball and how it can be developed.

Basketball Research Paper Topics for High School

• The role of coaches in the development of young players and the success of a team.
• The impact of injuries on the careers of basketball players.
• The role of team management and front office personnel in the success of a basketball team.
• The importance of physical conditioning in basketball and the various training methods players use.
• The impact of social media on the way basketball games are watched and followed by fans.
• The history of basketball in the Olympics and the impact of international competition on the sport.
• The role of analytics in the modern basketball game, including advanced statistics and data analysis.
• The influence of social media on the recruitment and scouting process in basketball.
• The internet and streaming services impact how fans watch and follow basketball games.
• The role of agents and player representation in the world of professional basketball.
• The impact of international leagues on the development of young players and the growth of the sport globally.
• The role of fan culture and fan behavior in the world of basketball.
• The history of basketball in the United States and its evolution over time.
• The role of the media in shaping public perception of basketball players and teams.
• The impact of social media on the way basketball players and teams are marketed and promoted.
• The role of scouting and player development in the success of a basketball team.
• The NCAA and its rules impact young players’ development and the sport’s future.
• The history of the NBA and its evolution over time.
• The role of sports science and technology in the development and training of basketball players.
• The impact of social media on the way fans follow and interact with their favorite players and teams.

Basketball Research Paper Topics for College Students

• The influence of coaching styles and strategies on the success of a basketball team.
• The impact of international tournaments, such as the FIBA World Cup, on basketball’s global popularity and growth.
• The role of fan engagement and social media in the marketing and promotion of basketball teams and players.
• The impact of sponsorship deals and endorsements on the financial success of basketball teams and players.
• The role of analytics and data analysis in the scouting and evaluation of players in basketball.
• The impact of social media on the way basketball games are analyzed and covered by the media.
• The influence of social media on the way the public perceives basketball players and teams.
• The role of mental toughness and mental training in the success of basketball players and teams.
• The impact of social media on the way basketball teams and players interact with their fans.
• The role of analytics and data analysis in developing strategies and game plans in basketball.
• The impact of social media on the way fans consume and follow basketball news and content.
• The influence of social media on the way basketball players and teams engage with their fans and promote their brand.
• The role of analytics and data analysis in evaluating basketball player performance and team success.
• The impact of social media on how basketball players and teams communicate with each other and fans.
• The role of analytics and data analysis in the scouting and recruitment of players in basketball.
• The impact of social media on the way basketball players and teams market themselves and their brands.
• The role of analytics and data analysis in developing advanced statistics and metrics in basketball.
• The influence of social media on the way basketball players and teams share content and interact with their followers.
• The role of analytics and data analysis in optimizing basketball player usage and game strategies.
• The impact of social media on the way basketball players and teams engage with their fans and promote their brand.
• The role of analytics and data analysis in analyzing and interpreting advanced statistics and metrics in basketball.
• The influence of social media on the way basketball players and teams share their experiences and personalities with their fans.
• The impact of social media on the way basketball players and teams connect with their fans and promote their brand.
• The role of analytics and data analysis in the analysis and interpretation of advanced statistics and metrics

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are countless topics to explore in a basketball research paper. From the development of female basketball to the impact of social media on the sport, these topics cover a wide range of subjects and offer plenty of opportunities for research and analysis. Whether you are interested in the history of the game, the technical aspects of play, or the basketball business, there is a topic here that will suit your interests and curiosity. So if you want to write a great basketball research paper, these topics should give you plenty of inspiration and ideas to get started.

With a passion for education and student empowerment, I create blog content that speaks directly to the needs and interests of students. From study hacks and productivity tips to career exploration and personal development

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Training load and match-play demands in basketball based on competition level: A systematic review

Adam J. Petway

1 Philadelphia 76ers Athlete Care Department, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Tomás T. Freitas

2 UCAM Research Center for High Performance Sport, Catholic University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Julio Calleja-González

3 Laboratory for Sport Performance Analysis, University of Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain

Daniel Medina Leal

Pedro e. alcaraz.

4 Faculty of Sport Sciences, UCAM, Catholic University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

Associated Data

All relevant data are within the manuscript and Supporting Information files.

Basketball is a court-based team-sport that requires a broad array of demands (physiological, mechanical, technical, tactical) in training and competition which makes it important for practitioners to understand the stress imposed on the basketball player during practice and match-play. Therefore, the main aim of the present systematic review is to investigate the training and match-play demands of basketball in elite, sub-elite, and youth competition. A search of five electronic databases (PubMed, SportDiscus, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Cochrane) was conducted until December 20 th , 2019. Articles were included if the study: (i) was published in English; (ii) contained internal or external load variables from basketball training and/or competition; and (iii) reported physiological or metabolic demands of competition or practice. Additionally, studies were classified according to the type of study participants into elite (20), sub-elite (9), and youth (6). A total of 35 articles were included in the systematic review. Results indicate that higher-level players seem to be more efficient while moving on-court. When compared to sub-elite and youth, elite players cover less distance at lower average velocities and with lower maximal and average heart rate during competition. However, elite-level players have a greater bandwidth to express higher velocity movements. From the present systematic review, it seems that additional investigation on this topic is warranted before a “clear picture” can be drawn concerning the acceleration and deceleration demands of training and competition. It is necessary to accurately and systematically assess competition demands to provide appropriate training strategies that resemble match-play.

1. Introduction

Basketball is a court-based team sport that requires proficiency in a vast array of physical parameters and motor abilities (i.e., speed, strength, and endurance) to achieve success from both a technical and tactical standpoint [ 1 ]. The ability to accelerate, decelerate, change direction, jump, and shuffle are paramount for on-court success, due to the intermittent high-intensity nature of most actions and basketball-specific movements [ 2 , 3 ] as well as the demands of the sporting activity [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Importantly, in competition settings, the aforementioned abilities must be expressed in an efficient and economical manner over the course of four quarters with contributions from both aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways [ 1 ]. In this context, the density of game-related activity (determined by specific work-to-rest ratios) is dictated by action intensity and by the moment of the game [ 7 ]. This includes medium- to high-intensity actions that last 15 seconds (s) and high- to maximal-intensity actions that last up to 2–5 s [ 8 , 9 ]. It is for this reason that practitioners must have a precise overview of match-play demands as well as the load elicited during training [ 4 , 5 , 2 , 6 , 10 , 3 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. In fact, over the past years, there have been several studies documenting match-play demands in basketball [ 4 , 5 , 2 , 6 , 10 , 3 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 7 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 9 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Particularly, a recent review by Stojanovic et al. [ 29 ] analyzed the activity demands and physiological responses obtained during basketball competition and found that playing period, playing position, level, geographical location and sex greatly influenced the stress experienced by basketball players. In their article Stojanovic et al. [ 29 ] examined heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration, total distance, and movement patterns of male and female basketball competitions based on time-motion analysis. However, while the study clearly described the competition characteristics, the authors did not present data on the acceleration/deceleration requirements of the game nor did they examine the demands of training versus match-play. It is for these reasons that the current systematic review is justified.

It is important to note that amongst the several methods used to quantify the demands of play, and regarding internal load quantifications, HR [ 6 , 3 , 11 , 12 , 14 , 20 ] and blood lactate concentration [ 4 , 13 , 14 , 16 , 9 , 30 ] were the most frequently used. In fact, internal variables such as average and maximal HR can be extracted to quantify loading parameters during match-play [ 11 , 12 , 21 , 30 , 26 ]. Concerning external load, methods such as accelerometry and the use of positional tracking cameras [ 4 , 2 , 13 , 16 , 7 , 17 , 31 ] are amongst the most common. Within this framework, total or high-intensity accelerations and decelerations, total distance traveled, and top speed reached were the widely used variables to assign a value to the mechanical load imposed. In addition, time-motion analysis [ 4 , 14 , 18 , 22 , 9 , 26 , 32 ] measuring time and frequency of movements such as “standing”; “jogging”; “running”; “sprinting”; and “jumping” during competition can be found in the literature. Despite match-play demands based on time-motion analysis having been found to present a high level of variability according to playing position, skill level and training age [ 29 ], no robust evidence exists regarding the use of accelerometry. Therefore, a systematic analysis of both approaches to match demands quantification is warranted. Collectively, a better understanding of this ‘real-time’ feedback can give relevant and useful information concerning normative group standards, as well as relative to the individual athlete. Additionally, having a clear “picture” of both internal and external loading parameters can provide a better insight into global stress that the players deal with during training and competition [ 2 , 10 , 26 ].

In a related topic, tracking training load in this team-sport may be of extreme importance to ensure that the players are physically prepared for competition demands from a fitness standpoint, in order to avoid acute spikes in load from a fatigue and injury prevention perspective [ 3 , 11 , 7 , 17 ] and to provide individualized recovery strategies [ 33 , 34 ]. With this in mind, a copious amount of research has also been focused on investigating and describing basketball training load parameters over recent years [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 21 , 42 , 24 , 43 , 44 ]. As previously mentioned for competition, accelerometry is becoming an increasingly popular means of quantifying load during training [ 36 , 38 , 40 , 21 ]; however, no conclusive data has been reported throughout the different studies. For this reason, a more in-depth and systematic analysis of the literature is warranted. Regarding internal load, HR and session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) (i.e., the subjective feedback from the player on a 1–10 scale multiplied by duration of training) have been shown to be a cost-effective way of providing valuable information widely used by coaches and sport scientists [ 35 , 37 , 41 ]. Remarkably, an important variability has been reported within basketball training loads based on quantification means of training load, position, perceived exertion, skill level, and training age [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 44 ], once again identifying the need for a systematic review of the published data.

The current state of the literature is not conclusive regarding the typical training load experienced by basketball players of different competition levels given that only match-play demands and physiological responses during competition have been previously described [ 29 ]. To our knowledge, no previous investigation has focused on systematically reviewing the literature to identify precise loads during training versus match-play whilst clearly defining different levels of competition. As such, there is an important gap in the available research that does not allow concluding whether basketball training is closely mimicking game demands, hence, adequately preparing players for the stress imposed by competition. Moreover, new technologies that allow quantifying the acceleration/deceleration demands in basketball training and competition have emerged, but no current literature review has addressed this topic. Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review is to analyze the evidence related to the training load and match-play demands of basketball across different levels of competition.

2. Materials and methods

2.1 study design.

The present study is a systematic review focused on training load and match-play demands at different levels of competition in basketball. The review was not registered prior to initiation, was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) statement [ 45 ] and did not require Institutional Review Board approval.

2.2 Search strategy

A structured search was carried out in PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, SportDiscus and Cochrane databases, all high quality databases which guarantees strong bibliographic support. The electronic database search for the related articles considered all publications prior to December 20 th, 2019. The following key words were used to conduct the search “basketball”, “training load”, “accelerometry”, “load monitoring”, “internal load”, “total distance”, “average distance”, “top speed”, “average speed”, “metabolic”, “heart rate”, “competition demands”, “training demands”, “training”, and “rate of perceived exertion”. In addition, the key word “basketball” was present in each search to ensure that the relevant information was catered to articles involving only this sport. The reference sections of all identified articles were also examined (by applying the “snowball methods” strategy [ 40 ]). Once the electronic search was conducted, relevant studies were identified and organized in a systematic fashion.

All titles and abstracts from the search were cross-referenced to identify duplicates and any potential missing studies, and then screened for a subsequent full-text review. The search for published studies was independently performed by two authors (AP and TTF) and disagreements were resolved through discussion.

2.3 Inclusion and exclusion criteria

This review included cross-sectional and longitudinal studies considering healthy, professional or junior, male basketball players. Study participants were categorized into three groups: elite, sub-elite, and youth. The elite basketball group was defined as teams participating in the NBA, NBA G-League, NCAA Division I, Euro League, FIBA International Competition, ACB, Top Divisions in Europe, South America, Australia, and Asia. Sub-elite was defined as professional or semi-professional that did not meet the elite criteria but were over 19 years old. Youth was considered for studies in which the participants were all 19 years of age or younger. Studies were included in the present review if they met the following criteria: (i) the study was published in English; (ii) the study included internal or external load variables from basketball training and/or competition; and (iii) the study reported physiological or metabolic demands of competition or practice.

Studies were excluded if (i) the study participants were wheelchair basketball players; (ii) the study participants were female; (iii) the data being collected did not describe training load or competition demands; and (iv) the study consisted on a review or a conference proceeding.

2.4 Study selection

The initial search was conducted by one researcher (AP). After the removal of duplicates, an intensive review of all of the titles and abstracts obtained were conducted. Following the first screening process, the full-version of the remaining articles was read. Then, on a blind, independent fashion, two reviewers excluded studies not related to the review’s topics and determined the studies for inclusion (AP and TTF), according to the criteria previously established. If no agreement was obtained, a third party intervened and settled the dispute. Moreover, PEDro scale ( Fig 1 ) was used to evaluate whether the selected randomized controlled trials were scientifically sound (9–10 = excellent, 6–8 = good, 4–5 = fair, and <4 = poor) [ 46 ]. Papers with poor PEDro score were excluded. Final outcomes of the interventions were extracted independently by two authors (AP and TTF) using a customized spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel 2016, USA). Disagreements were resolved through discussion until a consensus was achieved.

3. Search results

As several databases were scrutinized, the initial database search yielded 18,805 citations. After duplicate removal, 3,282 abstracts and titles were left for review. Upon screening, 165 articles met the inclusion criteria for full-text review. Of the 165 articles reviewed, 35 met the criteria for the systematic review. Of the 35 articles that met the criteria, 12 had participants for elite competition demands [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 7 , 9 , 30 , 32 ], 16 articles had participants for elite training load [ 2 , 10 , 3 , 12 , 15 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 41 , 20 , 42 , 25 , 27 , 43 , 47 ], 6 for sub-elite competition demands [ 4 , 11 , 13 , 21 , 26 , 32 ], 3 for sub-elite training load [ 23 , 44 , 48 ], 5 for youth competition demands [ 11 , 18 , 22 , 9 , 28 ] and 1 for youth training load [ 24 ]. A full view of the search and selection process can be found in the PRISMA flow diagram [ 45 ] in Fig 2 .

4. Competition demands

4.1 internal competition load.

Internal load outcomes pertaining to competition demands can be found in Table 1 . The variables displayed in the different studies consisted of HR and blood lactate concentration.

Heart Rate (HR) expressed in Beats Per Minute (BPM). Blood Lactate Concentrate express in millimoles per liter mmol/L. Q1 is 1 st quarter, Q2 is 2 nd quarter, Q3 is 3 rd quarter, and Q4 is 4 th quarter of match-play.

4.1.1 Heart rate

Heart Rate (HR) during competition ( Table 1 ) was organized into two categories according to the classification used in the included studies: maximal (HR max ) and average HR (HR ave ). The values of HR max during elite level competition ranged from 187 to 198 beats per minute (BPM) with a mean of 190 BPM [ 11 , 12 , 30 ]. With regards to sub-elite competition, values ranged from 192 to 195 BPM with a mean of 194 BPM [ 11 , 21 , 26 ]. In addition, in youth competition, the HR max held a mean of 199 BPM [ 11 , 18 ]. The data extracted indicated that elite competitors presented lower HR max values during competition, which can be interpreted as an indicator of elite players having a higher overall level of fitness and a more efficient work rate compared to sub-elite and youth players [ 11 ]. Interestingly, according to the results retrieved from the literature, the same pattern occurred with the HR ave. During elite level competition the value ranged from 150 to 175 BPM [ 11 , 12 , 30 ], in sub-elite competition ranged from 168 to 169 BMP [ 11 , 21 ] and in youth competition the HR ave ranged from 167 to 172 BPM [ 11 , 18 ].

4.1.2 Blood lactate concentration

Blood lactate concentration was collected as an internal measurement during select studies of elite level competition. The samples for mean blood lactate post-competition held an average of 5.1 ± 1.3 mmol/L [ 18 , 21 , 9 ] with a range of 4.2 to 5.7 ± 1.2. Abdelkrim et al. [ 9 ] observed a peak of 6.2 ± 1.3 in the fourth quarter for the Tunisian National Team. The fourth quarter peak is likely due to the build-up of blood metabolites and catabolic hormones based on the depletion of muscle glycogen later in competition. The ability to buffer these mechanisms internally may have had a direct impact on mechanical outputs during competition [ 30 ] as internal load parameters leading to fatigue have been reported to negatively affect whole-body work rate, physical and technical performance, and even decision making in team-sports [ 49 ]. It is for such a reason that there is a need for future investigation of blood metabolite accumulation during competition and the effects it has on high-speed movement.

4.2 External competition load

Table 2 displays the external load variables retrieved from the different studies. Total distance, acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) efforts during basketball competition, average and top speed reached, and time motion analysis movement frequency and duration were the outcomes extracted.

(m·s) = meters per second. (km·h) = kilometers per hour PG- Point Guard, SG-Shooting Guard, SF- Small Forward, C- Center. Acc. = accelerations. Dec. = decelerations. tACC = total accelerations. hACC = high-intensity accelerations. tDEC = total decelerations. hDEC = high-intensity decertations. #/min = number per minute. Q1 = 1 st Quarter. Q2 = 2 nd Quarter. Q3 = 3 rd Quarter. Q4 = 4 th Quarter.

4.2.1 Total distance

In elite competition, distance traveled ranged from 1,991 to 6,310 m [ 13 , 16 , 9 ]. The total distance covered during sub-elite competition ranged from 3,722 to 6,208 m [ 48 , 13 ]. Finally, considering youth competition, only one study tracked the distance traveled during competition and reported a value of 7,558 m [ 9 ]. Remarkably, there was a discrepancy in distance covered between elite, sub-elite, and youth athletes. Upon review, the elite level basketball athletes covered, on average, less distance (4,369 m) [ 4 , 13 , 16 , 7 ], compared to sub-elite (5,377 m) [ 4 , 13 , 48 ] and youth players (7,558 m) [ 9 ]. This seemingly paradoxical finding suggests that the total distance covered may be a poor indicator of in-game performance. In fact, one could infer that the observed phenomenon is a product of technical mastery relative to the demands of competition, as well as elite level players having a higher level of economy in relation to the tactical aspects of basketball [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]. Based on the present results and as it occurs in other team-sports [ 50 ], the key aspect here appears to be not “ how much ” distance a player covers (i.e., quantity) but “ how ” and at “ what intensity ” that distance is covered (i.e., quality). In fact, in support of the previous, Sampaio et al., [ 5 ] suggested that better players tend to make fewer mistakes when deciding when and where to run which may result in shorter paths to reach their destination. This is more than likely due to a high degree of technical and tactical discipline based on training age and experience, more hours of professional supervised practices, and higher level of coaching.

4.2.2 Accelerations and decelerations

Accelerometry in basketball is tracked via inertial units containing accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer sensors [ 15 , 7 , 27 ]. These sensors allowed inertial movement analysis by recording accelerations, decelerations, jumps, and changes of direction (COD). As it can be seen in Table 2 , when considering the accelerometry data collected during elite level competition, most research breaks it down into two important categories: accelerations (ACC) and decelerations (DEC) [ 15 , 7 , 27 , 28 ]. Additionally, two sub-sections of these categories can be found: total (T), and high-intensity (HI) [ 15 , 27 ]. For the purpose of this review, total accelerations (ACC T ) were classified as total forward acceleration, whereas high-intensity accelerations (ACC HI ) were classified as the total forward acceleration within the high band (>3.5 m·s -2 ) [ 15 ], and (>3 m·s -2 ) [ 27 ]. Total decelerations (DEC T ) consisted of the total number of decelerations and high-intensity decelerations (DEC HI ) were classified as total deceleration within the high band (>-3.5 m·s -2 ), and (>-3 m·s -2 ) [ 27 ].

During elite level match-play, the ACC T ranged from 43 to 145, and the total number of ACC HI ranged from 1 to 15 per match. Remarkably, a substantial variability can be found within the included studies, considering the ACC values. This occurrence makes it difficult to draw precise conclusions regarding the ACC demands of elite basketball competition. In fact, a similar pattern can be observed for DEC T as values ranging from 24 to 95 per match were found. Regarding the total number of DEC HI per match, data extracted ranged from 4 to 40. It seems evident that additional investigations on this topic are warranted before a “clear picture” can be drawn concerning the ACC and DEC demands. Moreover, researchers and sports scientists are encouraged to follow a standardized approach to ACC and DEC quantifications (e.g., determining the same HI bands) so that comparisons between studies and data sets can be conducted. None of the sub-elite or youth teams in the included studies collected accelerometry data during competition.

4.2.3 Average and top speed

Studies evaluating NBA competition [ 5 , 7 ] recorded average speed in miles per hour (mph), but values were converted by the authors to the global unit measurement of meters per second (m·s -1 ). The speed recorded by using spatial tracking cameras (Sport VU ® ; Chicago, USA) can be seen in Table 2 . Sport VU ® cameras were installed in all 30 NBA arenas from the 2012–2013 season until the 2016–2017 season and McLean et al. [ 51 ] collected data from the entire 82 games plus the playoffs. This technology uses computer vision systems designed with algorithms to measure player positions at a sampling rate of 25 frames per second [ 5 ]. Top speed was also measured by Puente [ 26 ] via SPI PRO X (GPSports ® , Australia) and Abdelkrim et al. [ 16 ], as well as Vázquez-Guerrero et al.[ 28 ] via WIMU PRO Local Positioning System (Realtrack System, Almeria, Spain).

Similar to accelerometry data, positional tracking cameras have only been used to track match demands in elite level basketball, most likely due to the financial limitations on the sub-elite and youth levels. Importantly, when examining normative data points related to movements associated with basketball, it seems that the best performers on an elite level expressed certain performance characteristics. For example, Sampaio et al. [ 5 ], when examining All-Star Players versus Non-All-Star players in the NBA, found that there was a significant difference in average speed on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. All-Star players had an average speed of 4.38 ± 0.36 mph (2.0 ± 0.2 m·s -1 ) offensively and 3.65 ± 0.16 mph (1.6 ± 0.1 m·s -1 ) defensively, whereas Non-All-Star players had an average speed of 4.50 ± 0.28 mph (2.0 ± 0.1 m·s -1 ) offensively and 3.86 ± 0.20 mph (1.7±0.1 m·s -1 ) defensively. Within the most prestigious level of basketball, the evidence suggests that the most efficient players tend to exert the least amount of energy to achieve the most productive results [ 5 , 7 ]. With regards to top speed, there was also variability among levels. Puente et al. [ 26 ] showed that the average top speed in sub-elite Spanish basketball competition was 6.2 m·s -1 , which is lower than the 8.09 m·s -1 average top speed by NBA players identified in the work of Caparrós et al. [ 7 ]. However, the former study [ 26 ] only analyzed one single sub-elite game and, therefore, caution is warranted when directly comparing the results. For this reason, future research is needed in this area. Taken together, the distance and speed data extracted from the literature hint that higher level basketball players seem to cover less distance but achieve greater top speeds during competition, which is in line with what has been reported in other team sports [ 52 , 50 ].

4.2.4 Time motion analysis

Time motion analysis has been widely used to track frequency and duration of movements during competition [ 4 , 18 , 26 , 22 , 14 , 9 , 32 ]. Movements such as stand/walk, jog, run, sprint, and jump are commonly recorded among different levels of competition as well as different positions. Within this research, and based on the published literature, stand/walk was defined as movements performed at a velocity of 0–1 m·s -1 [ 1 , 14 , 18 , 22 , 32 ] and jogging was defined as intensities greater than walking but without urgency performed at 1.1–3.0 m·s -1 [ 4 , 18 , 26 , 9 ]. Running was defined as sagittal plane movement at a greater intensity than jogging and with a moderate degree of urgency at 3.1–7.0 m·s -1 [ 18 , 22 , 33 ]. Finally, sprinting was defined as forward movements characterized as effort close to maximum >7.0 m·s -1 [ 4 , 14 , 18 , 9 , 26 , 32 ].

Ferioli et al. [ 32 ] and Scanlan et al. [ 4 ] examined time motion analysis among elite and sub-elite populations. Upon review, Ferioli et al. [ 32 ] found that there was a stark difference between time spent and frequency in high-speed running and sprinting versus jogging in the first division compared to the second division. The 1 st Italian Division had frequency of exposures to high-intensity actions (HIA) of 107 ± 26, compared to an average of 78 ± 35 HIA in the second division. Scanlan et al. [ 4 ] found that elite backcourt (EBC) and elite frontcourt (EFC) had a much higher frequency of running compared to sub-elite backcourt (SEBC) and sub-elite front court (SEFC) during match-play. EBC had a mean frequency of 504 ± 38 and EFC had a mean frequency of 513 ± 26 of exposures to running during competition. These figures for running during competition are much higher than the SEBC (321 ± 75) and SEFC (352 ± 25), respectively. Again, these results would suggest that top-level basketball players spend more time at high-intensity activities compared to their sub-elite counterparts. In addition, elite players tend to display greater control over the most appropriate time and situations to express high-intensity actions relative to the total distance covered whilst on the court.

Abdelkrim et al. [ 18 ] and Puente et al. [ 26 ] examined the positional differences using time motion variables during competition. Both studies showed that guards spend more time running compared to forwards and centers. Abdelkrim et al. [ 18 ] found that guards had a greater frequency of running during competition (103 ± 11), compared to forwards (88 ± 5) and centers (101 ± 19). Puente et al. [ 26 ] found that guards run a longer distance of 3.1 ± 1.1 (m.min -1 ) compared to forwards (2.2 ± 1.9) and centers (1.6 ± 1.6). This information, seen in Table 3 , is useful and may have important implications when prescribing high-intensity running relative to each position in basketball. Based on these results, individual conditioning programs should be adapted to the specific physical requirements of guards, forwards, and centers, keeping in mind that the latter have been found to have a lower proportion of high-intensity running, acceleration, decelerations, and COD.

EBC = elite back-court. EFC = elite front-court. SEBC = sub-elite back-court. SEFC = sub-elite front-court. REC = recovery. LIA = low-intensity activity. MIA = medium-intensity activity. HIA = high-intensity activity. m*min = meters per minute.

5. Training demands

5.1 internal training demands.

Internal Training Load, displayed in Table 4 , considered the following variables: s-RPE, Weekly Training Load, HR max , HR ave , % HR max , and Training Impulse (TRIMP).

s-RPE = session rate of perceived exertion. (AU) = arbitrary units. 5v5 = 5 players versus 5 players. 4v4 = 4 players versus 4 players. 3v3 = 3 players versus 3 players. 2v2 = 2 players versus 2 players.

5.1.1 Heart rate

Heart rate in training was used to quantify the cardiovascular demands imposed on the athletes [ 3 , 12 , 35 , 20 , 23 , 24 ]. Torres-Ronda et al. [ 12 ] examined HR max , HR ave , and %HR max in 5vs5, 4vs4, 3vs3, 2vs2, and 1vs1 games and found the 1vs1 situations had elicited the largest physiological response. Gocentas et al. [ 23 ] compared the HR max between guards and forwards in different training sessions and found that on average guards had a higher HR response (194 ± 14) than forwards (190 ± 12.7). More investigation is needed in the future as it relates to the HR demands of varying training programs.

5.1.2 Session RPE and total weekly training load

A fairly common strategy to monitor players’ load is to track the total weekly load via the sRPE (RPE multiplied by session duration), collected throughout the training week. In basketball, this method has been widely used to assess Training Load [ 35 , 37 , 41 ] and has been shown to provide good insight on the energy cost of different movement patterns, particularly when coupled with external load data [ 2 , 10 , 39 ]. Briefly, it involves players reporting their RPE score using the Borg 10-point scale thirty minutes after the completion of each training session, multiplying the value by the number of minutes of the session [ 41 ] and then calculating the sum of the values of each training session during the week.

As noted in Table 4 , the Total Weekly Training Loads in the studies analyzed ranged from 2255 to 5058 AU in elite level teams [ 35 , 37 , 41 ]. The large range observed is likely due to the high variability on the number of training sessions or practice duration based on the loads provided by the technical staff. Since sRPE is obtained by multiplying RPE by session duration, the accumulative amount of weekly training load is dependent on the duration of each training session, which can vary based on style of play, level of competition, or moment of the season [ 36 , 42 , 44 ]. In addition, Svilar et al. [ 2 ] found that sRPE showed a very strong correlation with DEC T and COD T . According to the authors, the rapid eccentric actions involved in decelerations, cuts, and COD may explain the abovementioned relationship [ 1 , 2 ]. Nevertheless, the mechanical stress imposed on the athletes during these movements, as well as the effects of eccentric training in basketball athletes, are areas that need additional investigation in upcoming studies. A key aspect to consider when utilizing this method to monitor training loads and demands is that in the examination of coach and player perception of recovery and exertion, research has shown that coaches tend to overestimate recovery when compared to the athletes’ perception [ 17 ]. Therefore, when designing appropriate training sessions, a combination of internal and external load variables is recommended [ 2 , 10 , 39 ].

5.2 External training load

Regarding External Training Load ( Table 5 ), the variables retrieved from the studies were the number of ACC, DEC, and COD, tracked with inertial units through accelerometry.

hACC = high-intensity acceleration. hDEC = high-intensity deceleration. tACC = total acceleration. tDEC = total deceleration. tCOD = total change of directions. hCOD = high-intensity change of directions. RSG- regular stoppage games. NSG- non-stoppage games.

5.2.1 Accelerations and decelerations

In elite level basketball, ACC T in training varied from 16.9 to 59.5 [ 2 , 10 , 15 , 26 , 47 ]. The ACC HI in elite training, classified as the total forward acceleration within the high band (>3.5 m·s -2 ), ranged from 1.9 to 7.2 with a mean of 5.56 per training session. The DEC T in elite basketball training ranged from 16.4 to 93.2 with a mean of 64.6 per training session whereas the DEC HI (n), which were classified as the total number of decelerations within the high band (>-3.5 m·s -2 ), ranged from 1.6 to 12. When interpreting this data, it is important to acknowledge that ACC T and DEC T are qualified measures to quantify training volume, whereas ACC HI and DEC HI are quality measures of training intensity [ 2 , 10 , 15 , 43 ].

Remarkably, the number of ACC T, ACC HI, DEC T, and DEC HI reported during training were considerably lower than the data found in competition settings [ 15 , 7 , 27 ]. The total volume of ACC in competition was 81 per match on average, as opposed to a mean of 38 accelerations per training session [ 36 , 40 , 43 , 47 ]. The total number of ACC HI was moderately less in training (5.6) opposed to (7.3) during match-play. This was also the case with DEC. DEC T in competition was 73.1 and the DEC HI 16.4, which is slightly greater than the 64.6 (DEC T ) and 7.4 (DEC HI ) in elite level training. The present data supports the notion that training, and match demands seem to be considerably different, at least considering the number of ACC and DEC [ 15 ]. Matching the volume and intensity of competition via training is important during certain times of the preparatory and competitive season to adequately prepare the athletes for competition. As a consequence, the data reported herein may be extremely pertinent for practitioners in regard to training reflecting the demands of match-playing, as well as modulating training load based on outputs of these variables during competition. In this context, to try and achieve similar or even greater ACC demands in training with respect to match-play, manipulating constraints such as the number of players, the duration of drills or court dimension may be a potential strategy [ 12 , 15 , 47 ]. Within this framework, Schelling and Torres [ 47 ] found that ACC load in 3vs3 and 5vs5 full court scrimmage drills was greater than 2vs2 and 4vs4 full court scrimmage drills, indeed suggesting that manipulating training variables may greatly affect the total load imposed to the players.

A study by Svilar et al. [ 10 ] reported interpositional differences in training load accelerometry data among guards, forwards, and centers. Interestingly, the authors examined load parameters according to positional on-court roles and found that centers had a higher volume of ACC T (59.5 ± 27.1) and ACC HI (7.2 ± 4.8) opposed to forwards (42 ± 21.5, 5.8 ± 4.3, respectively) and guards (43.5 ± 17.5, 6.4 ± 4.4, respectively). Also, noteworthy, forwards were shown to have a high volume of DEC T (93.2 ± 35.0) and DEC HI (12.7 ± 8.3) compared to guards (84.7 ± 30.1, 11.9 ± 5.7) and centers (88.5 ± 30.3, 6.8 ± 4). It appears that the profiles of activity are quite different amongst positions and further research is necessary to better understand each individual profile. Still, the amount of exposures to cuts, COD, or screening actions, as well as the typical movement area of each positional role may conceivably explain such findings [ 6 , 10 , 12 , 16 , 27 , 53 ].

Despite the aforementioned, one must consider the limitations of accelerometry when measuring external load. Even though such technology is extremely useful, accelerometers fail to measure the metabolic demands of isometric muscle contractions during player-on-player contact due to the low velocity outputs. While these actions have very low acceleration, they potentially have very high energy demands [ 1 , 19 , 54 ]. Therefore, the physical cost of player-on-player contact loading is a component of basketball that must be examined more thoroughly in future research to more accurately quantify training and competition load.

6. Limitations

Some limitations should be addressed when considering the present research on training load and competition demands among different levels of basketball. Firstly, several elite leagues (e.g., NBA or ACB) do not allow for wearable technology to be used during competition which creates a gap in the literature as far as linking demands placed on the players during elite competition and how that compares to training. Secondly, when trying to investigate these variables, most sub-elite and youth teams do not have the financial means to invest in equipment to accurately quantify load during training. Finally, the limited number and sample size of youth and sub-elite studies made it difficult to conclude the precise demands of training and competition at these levels. As such, more resources need to be invested in these areas.

7. Conclusion

Basketball is a highly competitive team-sport that requires a cascade and flow of various movement patterns relative to the technical and tactical aspects of the sport. Examining the internal and external loads imposed on the players from both training and competition provides context for the practitioner to create an optimal training environment. Having the knowledge of the stress demands on the player during competition will help to dictate the volume and dosage of load for desirable adaptations in the player’s training regimen. From the results of the present systematic review, it appears that higher-level players seem to be more efficient while moving on-court. Elite level players cover less distance, at lower average velocities, and with lower HR max and HR ave during competition. However, they seem to have greater capacities to move at higher speed. This is likely due to a heightened sense of awareness based on the schematics of the game. Such information may provide insight into personalized testing protocols as well as training recovery strategies based on each player’s response and considering mechanical and physiological loading parameters relative to competition level. Examining this holistic approach creates an ideal training environment that facilitates both technical and tactical development as it relates to the game of basketball. Future research must be dedicated to this area to provide more precise insight into the physical and interpositional demands of the sport. It is necessary to accurately and systematically assess competition demands to help determine valid training strategies that resemble match-play, considering training age, physical characteristics, and in-game role of guards, forwards, and centers. Reviewing these principals will allow priming and preparing basketball players for the rigorous of match-play demands.

Supporting information

S1 checklist, acknowledgments.

All contributing authors would like to acknowledge Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia and The Philadelphia 76ers Athlete Care Department.

Funding Statement

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Data Availability

• PLoS One. 2020; 15(3): e0229212.

Decision Letter 0

17 Dec 2019

PONE-D-19-30568

Training Load and Match-Play Demands in Basketball based on Competition Level

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4. Please include a separate caption for each figure in your manuscript.

5. We note you have included a table to which you do not refer in the text of your manuscript. Please ensure that you refer to Table 3 in your text; if accepted, production will need this reference to link the reader to the Table.

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Partly

2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: N/A

3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: No

4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: - English grammar and spellings must be revised before a resubmission of the manuscript due to the fact that too many typos appear through the manuscript. In this sense the reviewer highlighted some of them, but I did not make an extensive review of typos.

- P2, L50, please add into brackets the specific demands (e.g., physical, technical…).

- P2, l52, please replace the term athlete with player through the text.

- P2, L54, please add after competition the different levels analysed (i.e., elite…).

- P2, L54, please write Web of Science instead of WoS.

- P2, l55-57, please replace the numbers (1), (2) and (3) with (i), (ii), (iii).

- P2, L57, please add “and” before (3).

- P2, L58, please clarify the type of study participants: …study participants into elite (xxxxxxx), sub-elite (xxxxxxx), and youth (xxxxxxxxx).

- P2, L59 and L63, add the word systematic before review.

- P2, L60, please write players instead of athlete.

- P2, L61, please write players instead of athlete.

- P2, L61, please write a full stop after athletes and start a new sentence.

- P2, L61, please delete the comma after distance.

- P2, L62, please add “than the other level players” after competition.

- P2, L66, please replace “help determine” with “provide”.

- P3, L82, please delete “of two halves, or”.

- P3, L84, please write “game-related”.

- P3, L91, what does “competition alone” mean? Please clarify the sentence and meaning of Stojanovic´s article.

- Please explain in depth the Stojanovic´s article. This reference detailed some relevant factors that affect the training load in basketball: playing period, playing position, level, geographical location and sex. In fact, the authors should justify why the current systematic review is needed, mainly when the Stojanovic´s one was published in 2017 and only a few articles were published after that date.

- P3, L92, please explain the stress variables identified in the Stojanovic´s review.

- P3, L93, please replace “Of note” with “It is important to note”.

- P3, L95, replace are with were.

- P3, L95, please write fact instead of effect.

- P4, L99-100, please write “…were the variables widely used to assign”.

- P4, L104, please replace conclusive with concluding or robust.

- P4, L106, please write “a better understanding of this…”

- P4, L109, please write …”stress that the players deal with during trainings and competitions”.

- P4, L111, please write “team sport” instead of “sport”.

- P4, L111, please write “…may be of extreme importance to ensure that players are…”.

- P4, L112, please write “…prepared for competition demands, from a fitness standpoint, in order to avoid…”.

- P4, L115, please replace dedicated to with focused on.

- P5, L121, player instead of athlete.

- P5, L123, write loads instead of load.

- P5, L125-126, please rewrite the sentence.

- P5, L127-128. The rationale of the current systematic review should be better presented and justified (as was pointed out above) highlighting the novelty of studying the different level of competition, and what does the current review add to the previous one of Stojanovic et al (2017).

- P5, L132-135, please split it into 2 sentences.

- P5, L132, please write “in the available research”.

- P5, L134-135, please write “Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review was to analyse the evidence related to…”

- P5, L140, please write focused instead of focusing.

- P6, L150, the authors should redo the search due to the fact that the first search was around 8 months ago, and not too many studies were found for sub-elite and youth levels.

- P7, L170, please write 19 years old.

- P7, L172-178, please replace the numbers (1), (2) and (3) with (i), (ii), (iii), (iv).

- P7, L174 and L178, please write and before (3) and (4), respectively.

- P7, L178, please write “a conference proceeding”.

- Quality of figures 1 and 2 must be improved.

- P8, L199, please add “the” before systematic.

- Tables 1 to 5 should include the n of matches and individual observations for each study.

- The units and symbols included in tables 1 to 5 should follow the same scale/unit of measure (m*s). In addition, the description of variables should include in all the studies mean and SD.

- Tables 1 to 5, please unify the names of the leagues to use the correct terminology. For example Spanish ACB league instead of Spanish ACB or what does Spanish Basketball Federation mean? Authors should write clearly each league name or sample used in order to avoid misunderstandings of readers and researchers.

- Results, the authors must unify the way to present the results. I suggest that mean and sd will be provided for all variables. However, the authors did this approach for some variables, but not for all.

- I suggest that the CV% would be included by authors in the analysis of each article to check the variability of their findings. This information will be useful to discuss the importance (stability) of variability among levels and then justify the large differences in some variables.

- P11, L255, please write 4,369.

- P11, L255, please write 3,722 and 6,208.

- P11, L255, please write 5,377.

- P11, L255, please write 7,558.

- P11, L255, please write 5,377 and 7,558.

- P11, L257, please write In particular instead of “Of note”.

- P11, L261-262, please delete “supporting that higher-level players travel the least amount of distance during competition”.

- P11, L262-270. The authors should explain and argue some relevant factors and variables that can justify the level differences such as experience, tactical discipline, hours of training, more professional supervised practice or the control of competition.

- P12, L289, please write In fact instead Of note.

- P13, L319, garner???

- P14, L322, please replace “demonstrated” with identified or found.

- The study of Puente et al (39) should be carefully discussed and argued during results and discussion because only 1 match was studied. Then, some of the authors’ arguments need to be revised to state the limitations of sample size of some studies included in the current review.

- P16, L342, please write correctly the units of running.

- P16, L343, please write sprinting with lower case letters.

- P16, L346, please add that before there was.

- P16, L354, please write these results would instead of this would.

- P16, L355, please delete “at the”.

- P16, L 355, please replace athletes with players.

- P16, L356, please add a full stop after counterparts and clarify the last sentence.

- P16, L359, please clarify that the studies analysed time motion variables or indicators, but not time motion analysis.

- P18, L381-383, please write vs or on when explaining the game situations (e.g., 3 on 3 or 3vs3, but not 3v3).

- P18, L383, please replace games with situations.

- P21, L432, please write correctly the units of measure after >3.5.

- P22, L453-454, please write vs or on for each game situation (e.g., 3 on 3 or 3vs3, but not 3v3).

- P22, L455, please replace athletes with players.

- P22, L461-462, please justify with scientific and valid arguments the training load differences by playing position. The game play actions raised were neither studied nor real facts of the actual game play of basketball.

- P22, L468-475, please discuss these issues with valid and scientific references that support yours statements.

- Limitations, the authors should include more limitations of the current systematic review such as sample size of some studies (Puente et al) or the reduced number of studies for youth players.

- P24, L496, please replace athletes with players.

- Conclusion, L505, please add positional aspects of the sport.

- Conclusion, replace athlete with player L506, L508, L509, L510, L515, L521, and L522.

- P24, L 508, please add to before dictate.

- P24, L509, please add systematic before review.

- P25, L516, wholistic???

- Reference list should be revised in depth according to the journal guidelines: (i) journal title in italics and short title (refs 1-20 and 22-53); (ii) incomplete references without number of pages, article number of journal vol/num (refs 3 and 48); or (iii) wrong journal title ref 45 (Sports medicine instead of Springer) or ref 21.

6. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article ( what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Miguel A Gómez

[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files to be viewed.]

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Author response to Decision Letter 0

21 Jan 2020

Dear Reviewer,

We really appreciate the time you devoted to reading our manuscript and helping us craft an improved version. As a single reviewer we acknowledge the fact that this was a difficult process. We are pleased to clarify your concerns which we believe will improve the impact and quality of our work. Please find below our response to your observations. We have made a concerted attempt to systematically address the specific concerns raised for this revision and we have highlighted the alterations to this revision within the manuscript in yellow for your convenience.

In advance,

King Regards

Author’s Response- Thank you so much for highlighting this issue. We have conducted a full revision of the English grammar to meet the standards for publication.

Author’s Response- Thank you so much. Changed as suggested: (physiological, mechanical, technical, tactical) was added.

- P2, L52, please replace the term athlete with player through the text.

Author’s Response- Thanks so much. Good detail. Changed as suggested.

Author’s Response- Agree, Changed as suggested. Elite, Sub-Elite, and Youth.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested. We now indicate the number of studies included for each category: Elite (20), Sub-Elite (9), Youth (6).

Author’s Response- “competition alone” refers to the fact that Stojanovic et al. did not examine training load and how that compared to the demands of competition.

Author’s Response- This is a great point, thank you for bringing it up. The Stojanovic article is discussed in more depth. The fact that training load was not examined and that there is not any data reported on acceleration/deceleration demands justifies the need for the current systematic review. This is now highlighted in the text.

Author’s Response- Heart rate, total distance, blood lactate and time-motion analysis are the stress variables mentioned in the article.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested. This is a great point. We elaborated on the fact that it is helpful for coaches and sports scientists to have information about training load versus match-play demands and how that compares based on competition level. In addition, we emphasize that the present review addresses the studies that have investigated the acceleration/deceleration demands of training and competition.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested. The sentence was re-arranged to make it easier for the reader to follow.

- P5, L134-135, please write “Therefore, the aim of the present systematic review was to analyze the evidence related to…”

Author’s Response- After conducting the search again only one new article was found that met the inclusion criteria. Vázquez-Guerrero et al. from September 2019 examined changes in physical demands between quarters. This study was conducted on youth athletes over 13 matches and, therefore, was added to the manuscript. All the other published articles were in referee, female, or wheelchair basketball and did not include training load or competition demands.

Author’s Response- Number of matches and training sessions were added to the tables, as well as the competition level for training and match-play.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested to Spanish ACB League. Spanish Basketball Federation is the Sub-Elite second division in Spain.

Author’s Response- Changed as suggested. SD was added to all of the presented variables. The only case in which SD were not reported was when we presented ranges for some of the variables based on the publish data.

Author’s Response- Thanks for your comment. We agree that %CV would be a great addition to the manuscript. However, given that most articles only report mean values (and not individual values) it was not possible for us to calculate the CV for each variable.

Author’s Response- Deleted as suggested.

Author’s Response- Thank you for your suggestion. We totally agree. We have re-written the sentence to bring up the point of elite athletes having a higher degree of technical and tactical economy based on training age, professional supervised practices, and higher-level coaching.

Author’s Response- Changed garner to achieve.

Author’s Response- The limitation that only one competition was tracked was brought up as well as the fact that future research is needed.

Author’s Response- All units of running were changed to (m·s).

- P16, L359, please clarify that the studies analyzed time motion variables or indicators, but not time motion analysis.

Author’s Response- Changed to 5vs5 as suggested.

Author’s Response- Changed to (m*s-2) as suggested.

Author’s Response- Changed to 3vs3 as suggested.

Author’s Response- The reviewer makes a compelling argument and he is right. Thank you. Interpositional demands discussed were justified by previous literature [5,6,9,13,40].

Author’s Response- The section on interpositional demands was validated via previous work [5,6,9,13,40].

Author’s Response- Limitations of the Puente et al. study was discussed as well as the lack of studies within the youth and sub-elite levels.

Author’s Response- Positional aspects were changed and added as future research lines due to the abovementioned reasons.

Author’s Response- Changed to global.

Author’s Response- Italics and short titles were corrected as well as the vol and title for 3, 48, 45, and 21.

Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx

Decision Letter 1

Training Load and Match-Play Demands in Basketball based on Competition Level: A Systematic Review

PONE-D-19-30568R1

Dear Dr. Petway,

We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it complies with all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you will receive an e-mail containing information on the amendments required prior to publication. When all required modifications have been addressed, you will receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will proceed to our production department and be scheduled for publication.

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With kind regards,

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Acceptance letter

18 Feb 2020

Dear Dr. Petway:

I am pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper at this point, to enable them to help maximize its impact. If they will be preparing press materials for this manuscript, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information please contact gro.solp@sserpeno .

For any other questions or concerns, please email gro.solp@enosolp .

Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE.

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Dr. Carlos Balsalobre-Fernández

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• Knowledge Base
• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, August 15). How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/thesis-statement/

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Does a Basketball Program Need a Vision or Mission Statement?

WHAT are Vision Statements and Mission Statements?

• Vision:  Defines the way an organization or enterprise will look in the future. Vision is a long-term view, sometimes describing how the organization would like the world to be in which it operates.
• Mission:  Defines the fundamental purpose of an organization or an enterprise, succinctly describing why it exists and what it does to achieve its Vision. It is sometimes used to set out a “picture” of the organization in the future. A mission statement provides details of what is done and answers the question: “What do we do?”

 -Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_planning

  WHY would a Basketball Program Need Either?     “Without vision the people perish.”  -Proverbs 29:18

• Dan Miller, author of  48 Days to the Work You Love , is said to explain it this way: “Without a really good mission statement you have the potential to get to the top of the ladder only to find it is leaning against the wrong building.”
• I believe that the best programs are about much more than basketball, and that this intentional emphasis leads to better basketball.  Clear vision and mission statements help keep everyone focused on our goals and help them understand why we do what we do.
• I am in my 10 th  year as a head coach and we have made adjustments over the years, but we have always had these to guide us.  I put them on the team handbook, in the locker room, on our website, and on our letterhead.  I want people to know and understand  why  we make the decisions we do.

HOW Do I Make a Vision Statement and/or Mission Statement?

• Dave Ramsey has a wonderful new book out called  EntreLeadership  that applies in so many ways to coaching.  One of the things he discusses is Mission Statements and he has provided a free worksheet to help you develop one here   http://www.daveramsey.com/entreleadership/supplemental-content/

DO YOU WANT SOME EXAMPLES?

These are the actual Vision and Mission Statements we have used with our teams.  We do not always win every game, but I am proud of how our players have represented themselves on and off the court, and I have heard the same from many of their parents over the years.  

Our Vision: To Be The Program by Which All Others Are Measured.

Explanation:

This is a huge goal.  You may have even heard of a BHAG (a Big Hairy Audacious Goal).  Note we didn’t just say basketball programs but  all  programs.  We didn’t just say  high school  programs but  all  programs.  It might not happen, but it is what we are shooting for.

We have our players wear a “Gameday” shirt with a team neck tie and khaki pants.  I have seen some teams that go all out with team blazers and such, and that is great if it works for them, but this is what works for us.  I have had opposing coaches comment on how good our players look, and after our first year of doing this there was even a spring sport that started doing a very similar thing at our school.

Our Mission Statement: Building Servant Leaders for Life in the Community, the Classroom, and on the Court Through Trust, Love, & Commitment.

This is how we turn the vision into reality.  It puts meat on the bones with specific attitudes, key areas, and core values.

Specific Attitudes:  Servant Leadership does not come naturally.  Kids do not come out of the womb asking how they can help around the house!  Sadly, in sports we often enforce the opposite.  For example, the think goes “I am a senior so now the freshman serve me.”  Freshman carry the equipment, freshman do the grunt work, etc.  Now I do believe in paying your dues and earning your way, but I also believe that seniors need to learn that to truly lead they need to serve the freshman- not haze, abuse, or intimidate them.

Key Areas:  Next we have what we call the 3 C’s: Community, Classroom, and Court.  We make intentional efforts in these areas to build leadership.  For example, we have done community service projects around the school, adopted families at Christmas, ministered to United Nations refugees, read to elementary school students, etc.  The players know  why  we do it- it is part of our mission!  They  serve  others in their community and beyond!  In the classroom we do old school weekly academic progress checks.  Each player gets a manila folder that has a grade check sheet stapled inside that they have to get signed with their grade and their behavior.  This serves as a wonderful motivator, and teachers love it!  We also give out academic awards at the banquet for each team and keep records for best team G.P.A.  On the court we have an offensive and defensive emphasis on every practice plan.  The players have to memorize them and be prepared to recite them at the beginning of practice or there is a punishment.  They are usually short and cover basic fundamentals.  For example, “No stance, no chance!” might be a defensive fundamental.  “Sprint to screens” might be an offensive emphasis.  Using these we are able to reinforce winning behaviors and attention to detail.

Core Values : What kind of marriage will you have if you don’t trust each other?  How about a friendship?  Business partnership?  Teammate?  Trust is the glue that bonds us together and allows us to achieve more together than we could on our own.  Players have to trust in their own abilities, their teammates, and their coaches.  The second core value is “Love.”  Love is the greatest force in the world.  We are not talking romantic love here- we are talking love of the game, love of competition, love of pushing yourself, love of buying in to a cause greater than yourself, etc.  The third core value is “Commitment.”  Here is a question I ask in several different contexts, but especially in basketball: Are you on the team, or are you committed to the team?  Jeff Janssen has an excellent book that I have used for years called The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual .  In it he explains his “Commitment Continuum” where he rates a players commitment to the team on six main levels from “Resistant” to “Compelled.”  There is a seventh level of “Obsessed” at the top that shows you can take it too far also.

This Vision Statement and this Mission Statement works for us in our situation.  Your situation may be very different than ours.  I would love to hear what you do with your team in your situation.  Please leave a comment or send us an email at  [email protected]

If you are interested in the books mentioned in this post you can click here to buy them and support our mission at CBW!

Until next time, coach ‘em up!  

-Hal Wilson

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Tournament darling DJ Burns and N.C. State head to the Final 4, smiles, skips and all

Becky Sullivan

DJ Burns Jr. of the North Carolina State Wolfpack is showered with confetti after advancing to the Final Four. Patrick Smith/Getty Images hide caption

DJ Burns Jr. of the North Carolina State Wolfpack is showered with confetti after advancing to the Final Four.

DJ Burns Jr. is having fun.

During Sunday's Elite Eight matchup against Duke, Burns skipped as he came on and off the court. Crowds have wised up to who he is: his outsized stature, his graceful footwork, his delicate touch with the ball. The cheers that come when he touches the ball, the "let's go DJ" chants — that's an "awesome feeling," he says.

After Sunday's win put his team in the Final Four, Burns and two of his teammates walked into the post-game press conference, each bearing a smile and a Final Four hat adorned with the traditional souvenir — a little piece of basketball net, tied around the snap.

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As Burns took a seat, he pulled out his phone and took a selfie of the three of them.

"I was raised in a happy environment. I try to take that with me everywhere I go," Burns said after the game.

All season long, Burns has been a fan favorite for North Carolina State, the 11-seed that elbowed its way into this year's NCAA basketball tournament. And now that the Wolfpack has reached the Final Four, the spotlight has grown larger than ever.

A magical tournament run is in N.C. State's blood

N.C. State may, at first blush, seem an unconventional Cinderella, even as they became the only double-digit seed left in the men's tournament by the time they reached the Sweet Sixteen. They are a power conference team that has twice won a title, not a small, obscure college enjoying a one-off moment of glory.

But an unlikely tournament run is in the Wolfpack's blood; N.C. State won the 1983 title as a 6-seed, and then-head coach Jim Valvano's celebratory run across the court after the final buzzer remains an iconic image of March Madness.

The women's NCAA Final Four is set after Iowa wins its rematch against LSU

Now, this year's squad has hit their stride at just the right time, ousting favored opponents one after the other along a magical March run that has dazzled viewers and landed Burns and his teammates on college basketball's biggest stage.

"They never lost trust in who they are, and they've put together one of the most magical runs in the history of basketball," said head coach Kevin Keatts in an interview with NPR.

To reach this point, the Wolfpack has had to win nine games in a row — all of them elimination games, in which a loss would have ended their season.

Before these dazzling past few weeks, N.C. State had lost seven of nine games to end their regular season a dismal 17-14, a record too mediocre to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

That left an automatic bid as their only hope: To earn a March Madness berth, N.C. State would have to win five games in five days during the ACC tournament.

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So — they did. That string of victories in March led them to an 11-seed in the NCAA tournament, where they raised eyebrows by winning their first two games against 6-seed Texas Tech and 14-seed Oakland.

"We went back and looked at the games that we lost, and it wasn't so much about the other team. It was more about what we didn't do," Keatts said. "That's why we were able to lock in and focus."

Now, with wins over 2-seed Marquette and 4-seed Duke behind them to reach this stage, there's no doubt they belong in the Final Four just the same as the 1-seed Purdue they'll face Saturday, the team says.

"When you make it to the Final Four, people don't look at what your number is," Keatts said. "I don't think we can, at this point, sneak up on anybody. I think everybody knows that we're a good basketball team."

Burns adopts a serious, focused demeanor during games. But in the final minutes of the Elite Eight matchup with Duke, as N.C. State's lead grew, Burns showed some emotion. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images hide caption

Burns adopts a serious, focused demeanor during games. But in the final minutes of the Elite Eight matchup with Duke, as N.C. State's lead grew, Burns showed some emotion.

Burns's big size and graceful touch with the ball

Throughout the season, Burns has stood out as a force to be reckoned with.

At 6-foot-9 and ostensibly 275 pounds — though Burns has told reporters he weighs more than 300 pounds — Burns sticks out on a basketball court.

Although he has NFL-caliber size, his coach warns that you should not compare him to a left tackle.

"DJ Burns would think he was a tight end. You can't say left tackle. That's not right," Keatts said at a press conference last week.

Burns' size allows him to back up defenders who may weigh 30, or 50, or 70 pounds less than he does. Then, as he turns to the basket, Burns can gracefully unleash any of the classic big man's arsenal: finger rolls, hook shots, the gentlest of jumpers that kiss the glass before swishing through the basket.

As Burns draws more defensive attention, perhaps his best weapon has become his ability to pass out of a double team, his coach says. Burns had three assists against Duke and an impressive seven in their Sweet Sixteen match against 2-seed Marquette.

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"When DJ gets going, it makes it easier for us guards on the perimeter. He draws so much attention. All we can do is stay ready: stay ready to shoot, stay ready to make a play," said Wolfpack guard Casey Morsell last week. "But when he's going, we're very hard to stop."

Still, basketball is played by a team of five; Burns isn't all that makes N.C. State noteworthy. Their leading scorer is guard DJ Horne, a Raleigh native who transferred from Arizona State to N.C. State this season to be closer to home. Starting forward Mohamed Diarra played 39 minutes against Oakland last weekend as he was fasting for Ramadan. Point guard Michael O'Connell originally intended to play lacrosse in college.

That mix of backgrounds, and the fact that many of his players were new to the team, helps explain their struggles earlier this season, Keatts said. "Because we had eight new people — seven transfers and one freshman — it took us a little longer than most teams to gel," he said.

Both the men's and women's teams are in the Final Four

For fans of N.C. State, the past month has been a feast, with the first Final Four for the men's squad since that magical '83 run, and the women's team in their own Final Four for the first time since 1998.

"When N.C. State basketball is playing well, I think it's really good for everybody involved, for our community, for our students, for our alumni," Keatts said.

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Players from the previous championship squads — both the 1983 team and the 1974 team whose own tournament run ended John Wooden and UCLA's historic streak of seven straight NCAA titles — have been in touch by text and phone call, Keatts said.

"It's been a long time. It's been a lot of years," he said. "Everybody is really, really proud of what's going on right now."

His players "understand how important it is to bring basketball back" to N.C. State's one-time glory, Keatts said. But for now, they are focused on this weekend's game, and they're creating their own memories, he added.

Asked before last weekend's games if he was aware of the attention, Burns' face broke into a smile.

"I've definitely noticed it. It's been kind of crazy," Burns said. "Going from having almost zero media attention to a camera following you around all day is kinda been — it's been cool, but, you know —" he pauses, smiles, shakes his head — "I've definitely noticed it. Hard to miss it."

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For Burns, especially, the increased publicity has been a business opportunity in the form of name, image and likeness deals. In a Sunday post on his Instagram feed, Burns announced a partnership with the gas station chain 76, and in a press conference Thursday, he suggested that more deals were in the works.

All of the attention is well-deserved, his coach said. "When you meet him, you feel like you've known him for 10 years," Keatts told NPR. "He gets along with everyone. It could be your grandmother. It could be your 5-year-old son. It could be anyone who gets along with everybody. I consider him a teddy bear. And that's what he is, just a tremendous personality."

Asked last week what he'd like to say to people who didn't believe that N.C. State could reach this stage, Burns again smiled that big smile, as Keatts urged him to "be nice, be nice."

"I've been saying it, y'know: Welcome back," Burns said. "They didn't really believe in us, and they probably still don't. But that doesn't matter to us. We're just gonna stay together."

"If you're supporting us, thank you," he said. "If not, that's what it is."

Trans athletes should be allowed to play women's sports, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says

Transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in women’s sports, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley said ahead of her team’s NCAA Tournament championship game.

Staley made the comments during a news conference Saturday when asked by OutKick reporter Dan Zaksheske whether she believes “biological males” should be “included” in women’s sports.

“I’m on the opinion of if you’re a woman you should play,” Staley said. “If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play. That’s my opinion.”

Staley was speaking to reporters ahead of South Carolina’s championship matchup against Iowa on Sunday.

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Iowa coach Lisa Bluder declined to answer the same question later on.

“I understand it’s a topic that people are interested in, but today my focus is on the game tomorrow, my players,” Bluder said. “It’s an important game we have tomorrow and that’s what I want to be here to talk about, but I know it’s an important issue for another time.”

The topic of transgender athletes in sports has become a hot-button wedge issue in recent years, even though as of 2023, only 34 trans athletes had openly competed in college sports, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. That comprises an infinitesimal number of the more than 500,000 participants in NCAA athletics.

Opponents argue that transgender athletes who were assigned male at birth hold an advantage over cisgender women. Last month, college swimmers and volleyball players sued the NCAA , accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to compete in the 2022 national swimming championships. Thomas was the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA swimming championship .

At least 20 states have approved a version of a blanket ban on trans athletes playing on K-12 and collegiate sports teams. A Biden administration proposal would forbid such outright bans.

South Carolina’s Republican-controlled General Assembly last year approved laws barring instruction about gender identity and sexuality in kindergarten through fourth grade, as well as banning transgender girls from playing on girls’ sports teams from middle and high school through college. In 2022, Iowa approved its own similar law.

Staley signaled that she was ready for any potential blowback caused by her comments.

“So now the barnstorm of people are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of the biggest days of our game,” she said, “and I’m OK with that. I really am.”

Rudy Chinchilla is a breaking news editor for NBC News Digital.

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Lakers News: LA Source Reacts To Rumor Team Wanted To Replace Darvin Ham In-House

• Author: Alex Kirschenbaum

In this story:

After word broke this week that players may have (this is a rumor, and has not been officially confirmed) wanted Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham fired and replaced with assistant coach Phil Handy earlier this season , pundits all over town (and all over the nation) wondered just how seriously to take the news.

LA has solidified itself late into the season, though the team has been able to rise out of the play-in bracket, and at best will now finish with the No. 7 seed and have to win just one bonus game to qualify for the playoffs proper. It seems far more likely, however, that the 45-35 Lakers will finish closer to the ninth or tenth seed, and will need to win two play-in games to advance.

Per Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson , cohost of the new podcast No Nonsense With Tim Thomas And Scoop B , an LA source claimed, "That s--- [meaning the report] is wild."

LA will finish out its regular season with two more games, one of which seems incredibly winnable. That contest is a Friday game against the lottery-bound Memphis Grizzlies, who are missing most of their roster heading into the end of the year, on Friday. On Sunday, Los Angeles will play its season finale against the 47-32 New Orleans Pelicans, currently the No. 6 seed in the West. That game seems like it'll be more of a push, but it will be on the road for LA, which should give the opposition a slight edge.

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Kentucky basketball coaching candidates list: Nate Oats? Rick Pitino? Scott Drew?

John Calipari is expected to become the next head coach at Arkansas , and Kentucky needs a new men’s basketball coach. As hastily as the last guy abandoned the post after his latest postseason failure , that’s how fast prospective candidates will run toward Lexington. Probably.

Five different men have won national championships there. Kentucky jockeys with Kansas to be the winningest program of all time. There is no ceiling, because there’s no limit on the winning a coach can do there.

The expectations and scrutiny, of course, are not for the insecure or faint of heart. But the upside might be too much for many to resist.

John Calipari lost his way. Can he and Kentucky find it again?

Job evaluation

John Calipari was one of the two highest-paid coaches in the country. Money should not be an issue — for anything.

But then there was 2022, and the very public spat between Calipari and athletic director Mitch Barnhart regarding the need for a new practice facility. Does Kentucky actually need one? Might be in the eye of the beholder. The Craft Center opened in 2007. Is that antiquated in the arms race of college athletics?

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The name, image and likeness operation is also worth examination. Kentucky notably lost NIL mastermind TJ Beisner to North Carolina last offseason, and he dramatically improved the situation in Chapel Hill. On March 14, Kentucky launched an NIL initiative with a goal of $1 million. Less than a month later it has roughly $50,000 in the till.

And of course, Kentucky is in the SEC. Coaching in one of the two conferences that will shape the future of all sports is a fairly secure position.

Call List (in alphabetical order)

Billy Donovan , Chicago Bulls head coach: The dream candidate for Kentucky fans ever since … oh, about 2007. Donovan was a Kentucky assistant under Rick Pitino and doesn’t have the baggage of his former boss. But would he leave the NBA for the fishbowl of Lexington? Does he have any interest in returning to college? It seems unlikely, but Barnhart has to at least make the call and make him say no.

Scott Drew , Baylor head coach: Drew and UK AD Barnhart have been friendly since the 2021 NCAA Tournament bubble, when Barnhart was the selection committee chairman and Baylor won the title. Multiple people familiar with Barnhart’s thinking have said Drew would be his top choice whenever the job opened. The Baylor coach orchestrated arguably the greatest build in college basketball history. Baylor was going on probation when he got the job. Drew had the Bears in the NCAA Tournament in his fifth season. He has won two Big 12 titles and been to five consecutive tournaments. He is one of the sport’s top recruiters. Baylor has had a lottery pick the last two years and has another projected lottery pick this year. Baylor has just gone through this with Drew, who was also the top choice at Louisville. Baylor and Drew agreed recently to terms on a new contract, according to a source briefed on the matter.

Sean Miller, Xavier head coach: Is this an easy or hard sell for Kentucky? This past season was a 16-18 slog through injuries. He’s never made a Final Four. But he’s won 71.6 percent of his games and can martial all of the program’s resources in the correct direction. And he’d probably say yes very quickly, with an eye on levels of success that he never quite attained at Arizona.

Nate Oats , Alabama head coach: This might make the most sense, but an $18 million buyout would require some seismic belief. Oats might be worth it to Kentucky. In five years at Alabama, the 49-year-old is 62-28 in the SEC with two league titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances. He’s reached two Sweet 16 trips and delivered an ultimate statement this year: a Final Four trip. Not only does Oats win, but his style of play would have Cats fans drooling. Fast pace, high pressure, 3-point centric. Oats had already proven he can recruit at a level required in Lexington and produces pros. In theory, what he’s already done at Alabama is what’s expected at Kentucky. (Update: Oats released a statement on Monday night that he was “fully committed” to Alabama : “Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach.”)

Bruce Pearl, Auburn head coach: We have long heard that Barnhart would not be interested in hiring someone who has served a three-year NCAA show-cause penalty, but he’s among the multiple SEC coaches who did more than Calipari with less. He won the SEC regular season in 2018 and 2022 and the league tournament in 2019 and 2024. He’s been to a Final Four (Auburn’s only one ever) more recently than Kentucky. So if a bunch of these other candidates say no, Pearl’s previous missteps might suddenly be less offensive to Barnhart. In terms of personality, the carnival-barking Pearl is a perfect fit.

Rick Pitino, St. John’s head coach: This would be, unequivocally, the most incredible result of an already incredible turn of events. But it’s also a scenario that has to be considered, even if it’s entirely unlikely. Pitino won more than 80 percent of his games in a legendary Kentucky tenure, including a 1996 national title, and is still perhaps the most loved and hated man in the state. Pitino would undoubtedly win if he returned to Lexington, but he’s 71 and it’s hard to seriously imagine this being a realistic option. That said, Pitino is still coaching and this job is open and how amazing would this reunion be? Pitino pumped life back into dormant St. John’s this past year and is an absolutely force of nature in fundraising for both the program and in name, image and license funding. He hasn’t exactly slowed down, despite his age, and all the times his career nearly went awry. Does Kentucky entertain the thought?

Mark Pope, BYU head coach: The former son coming home? Yeah, that’ll play. Pope was part of Rick Pitino’s 1995-96 national championship team in Lexington, and has long been rumored as a potential Calipari successor strictly because of that background. Of course, stepping into a job of this magnitude requires more than just a feel-good story — and on that front, Pope amplified his credentials this season in a major way, leading BYU to 23 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth in the program’s first season in the Big 12. Pope runs gorgeous offense — the Cougars finished this season No. 14 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom — and now has two NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons, and likely would’ve had a third had the 2020 NCAA Tournament not been canceled due to COVID-19. The two big questions here: 1) Pope’s buyout, which is unknown because of BYU’s private status (but is unlikely to be prohibitive); and 2) Pope has never won a NCAA Tournament game. Would Kentucky, one of the few championship-or-bust programs in the country, really put that much faith in someone without a win in the Big Dance?

Kelvin Sampson, Houston head coach: He turns 69 in October. He is also the reigning AP coach of the year. The way it makes sense: Sampson is wanting to take one grand-slam swing at a national championship before he retires while leaving his son, Kellen, with a well-stocked cupboard as his successor.

Shaka Smart, Marquette head coach: It was made perfectly clear by Smart’s reps that he wasn’t interested in some prominent openings earlier in this cycle, but none of those jobs were Kentucky. The easy argument against this is that Smart already lived the life of a major, state school, hyper-high profile job, and it didn’t work out. But Texas and Kentucky are not remotely similar jobs. Kentucky is a basketball school — maybe the basketball school — and is the equivalent of Marquette on all available steroids. We wonder if Smart would have interest in turning his life upside down in the most dramatic way possible, but wouldn’t he at least have to answer the call, if it comes?

And the hire is…

Donovan is the pie-in-the-sky option here, and if you’re making calls of that caliber, you have to at least contact Drew (and maybe even Dan Hurley, although the odds of him leaving Connecticut are basically zero). But Baylor just redid Drew’s contract — not to mention the program’s sparkling new arena, Foster Pavilion, which opened in January. In the case those fall through? Oats, who surpassed Calipari in the SEC hierarchy the last few seasons, would certainly pick up the phone, and would be as close to an ideal hire as Cats fans could hope for at this point in the coaching carousel.

(Photo: Justin Ford / Getty Images)

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