Presents a look at how the NCAA basketball tournament became one of the most popular sporting events in America, providing the first-hand accounts of some of the sports greatest players and coaches.

Lunardi delves into the early days of Bracketology, details its growth, and dispels the myths of the process The NCAA Tournament has become one of the most popular sports events in the country, consuming fans for weeks with the run to the Final Four and ultimately the crowning of the champion of college hoops.? Each March, millions of Americans fill out their bracket in the hopes of correctly predicting the future. Yet, there is no true Madness without the oft-debated question about what teams should be seeded where—from the Power-5 Blue Blood with some early season stumbles on their resume to the mid-major that rampaged through their less competitive conference season—and the inventor of Bracketology himself, Joe Lunardi, now reveals the mystery and science behind the legend. While going in depth on his ever-evolving predictive formula, Lunardi compares great teams from different eras with intriguing results, talks to the biggest names in college basketball about their perception of Bracketology (both good and bad), and looks ahead to the future of the sport and how Bracketology will help shape the conversation. This fascinating book is a must-read for college hoops fans and anyone who has aspired to win their yearly office pool.

Every March, millions of Americans have their minds fixated on one thing: the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. From bracket pools in offices worldwide to students on campuses in all corners of the nation, “March Madness” takes the country by storm. From the “First Four” to the Final Four, collegiate heavyweights such as Duke and North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan, Texas and UCLA mix it up with Cinderella underdogs such as VCU, George Mason, and Penn, reminding the world that anything is possible. The magic of the tournament and the purity of the amateur game keep fans coming back year after year. From the birth of the tournament in 1939 to the most recent on-court drama, The Ultimate Book of March Madness explores the stories—both the legendary and the forgotten—behind each year’s tournament, and author Tom Hager selects the 100 greatest games from tournament history. With insight from dozens of players and coaches, this book reveals the tension, strategy, and even the behind-the-scenes humor of the tournament’s history. Featuring a unique blend of storytelling, quotes, vintage photographs, and game descriptions, The Ultimate Book of March Madness provides the average hoops fan with a deeper understanding of the history of the Final Four, while providing true fanatics with memorable and amazing stories they’ve never heard before.

The easy way to get the ins, outs, and intrigue on this beloved sport The National Basketball Association (NBA), with 30 teams and an average attendance of more than 17,000 spectators per game, is the richest and most popular basketball league — and arguably the most viewed American sport — in the world. This new edition of Basketball For Dummies not only covers the rules and regulations of the NBA, but offers coverage on the WNBA, NCAA, and international basketball leagues. Basketball For Dummies is a valuable resource to the many fans of this beloved sport, covering everything from players and personalities in the game to rules, regulations, and equipment. Completely updated with information and intrigue that's occurred in the sport since publication of the previous edition, Basketball For Dummies gets you up to speed on everything from NCAA Tournament brackets to college players en route to the NBA. Coverage of the rules and regulations of the NBA Interesting topics like LeBron the Phenom, ESPN'S influence on the NBA, and the UCONN women's basketball dynasty Digger's take on John Wooden Whether you're a basketball player or a courtside spectator, Basketball For Dummies is a slam-dunk of information and intrigue for anyone who loves the sport.

Davis recounts the dramatic story of how two legendary players--Earvin Magic Johnson and Larry Bird--burst on the scene in a 1979 NCAA championship that gave birth to modern basketball.

Covered by four networks, allowing every game to be televised, "March Madness" has become an American phenomenon. This is the story of the tournament, from its beginnings seventy-three years ago as an eight-team bracket to today's sixty-eight-team format--from Cinderella teams, to perennial powerhouses, to buzzer-beaters, upsets, and dynasties.

The annual NCAA Basketball Tournament, which has become known as “March Madness” has emerged as a major sports event, matched only by the Super Bowl and the Olympics. In Madness, Mark Mehler and Charles Paikert tell the stories behind the ten most compelling and memorable championship games in tournament history, from North Carolina’s triple-overtime victory over Wilt Chamberlain’s Kansas Wildcats in 1957 to Duke’s heart stopping victory over underdog Butler in 2010. As a bonus, five more games that just missed the cut are also examined. Madness goes beyond the games to tell the the backstories of these classics, each entirely unique unto itself. For example, Jim Valvano taking his impossible dream of a national title and making it come true for the 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpack; Rollie Massimino turning spaghetti and clam sauce into inspiration for his underachieving 1985 Villanova team; and Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, breaking down in tears while taking a Broadway curtain call in front of a wildly-applauding audience who two hours earlier didn't know who these two guys were decades after their head-to-head matchup in 1979. Some of these stories also resonate far beyond the basketball court, including the 1966 triumph by the Texas Western Miners, which helped chisel away the college basketball color line and stamped their victory as "Glory Road." Over sixty years of college basketball history is brought to life in this must-have for all basketball fans.

The book that every basketball fan has been waiting for celebrates the complete history of who and what made basketball the sport it is today. A one-of-a-kind treasury of all the facts, stats, and background that can't be found anywhere else. 16-page photo insert.

Researched and compiled by the NCAA, this is the one and only official reference on the Final Four used by sports media nationwide.

C. J. Jones knows college basketball from the inside, first as a player, then a coach, and now as Athletics Director at Central Connecticut State University. A Method to March Madness: An Insider's Look at the Final Four draws upon C. J.'s more than three decades of experience attending the Final Four. He has seen the Final Four grow from simply a popular college championship into the international, multibillion-dollar spectacle that it is today, and A Method to March MadnesS gives C. J.'s perspective on that transformation. Many well-known college basketball insiders have contributed behind-the-scenes stories, including Jim Calhoun, Dean Smith, Lute Olson, K. C. Jones, Gail Goodrich, Ray Meyer, and Howie Dickenman, among others. Featuring a four-color photographic section of Final Four memories, this book is of interest to all sports followers, from the casual hoops fan to the true college basketball junkie.