Early Days.

Basketball, the creation of Dr. James Naismith, is the only major sport that originated solely in the United States. Two peach baskets fastened to a gymnasium balcony in the winter of 1891 provided its humble beginnings and suggested the sport's name. The Springfield Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) arbitrated the rules for the game's first two years. The YMCA then joined with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to govern the game. In 1908 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) assumed charge of the college rules, and in 1915 the YMCA, the NCAA, and the AAU formed a joint committee.

College Basketball.

While small gyms limited crowd size, the potential for basketball as an intercollegiate sport was becoming apparent by the turn of the century. Since existing facilities could be modified to accommodate the sport and since a few good players could make a team competitive, small...