Do you remember taking the SAT exams when you were getting ready for college? There was that section of analogy questions that everybody hated. Here is one of those for you. As beach volleyball is to regular volleyball, then __________ is to regular basketball. FIBA and USA Basketball are hoping the answer is 3×3 basketball, the game that many of us have not played in driveways and on playgrounds since, well, forever. Guests on the podcast are: USA Team members Chiney Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Bria Hartley and Ann Strother USA Basketball 3x3 program director Travis Johnson We talk the game of 3x3 ball, the team selection process and tournament, the rule differences, why FIBA and USA Basketball are so into this concept and a lot more. Really interesting stuff, and if you saw the game this afternoon streamed, it was outdoors in a beautiful setting with the music playing and the announcers like at beach volleyball and more. http://wp.me/pwd9L-5ni In addition, we've created a 3x3 World Championships for Women cheat sheet with pertinent information; http://www.hoopfeed.com/content/?p=20667
Since FIBA and USA Basketball are encouraging 3 x 3 basketball, I wonder if the NCAA would ever include it as a sport. If they did and offered scholarships, the elite basketball schools would probably get stronger. I can imagine schools like Kentucky and Duke would would load up on more of the elite players and place them on whichever team needed the most help at the time. Different but related topic. USA Basketball in the future is going to host regional tournaments to determine who will represent USA in future 3 X 3 Fiba tournaments. I wonder if the elite colleges will create their own 3 x 3 teams to compete in these regional tournaments. Can you imagine a Summer tournament that would include the Top 4 players from UConn, Duke, Baylor, Tenn, Maryland, Stanford competing to represent USA Basketball. Would some schools decide to put two or more teams together. What would the College Coaches think and would they or the NCAA allow it? Could players from multiple schools get together to form a team?
I imagine this will not end up at the NCAA level, but will attract the folks that don't make it professionally/D1 like beach vollyball. While it requires the same basic skill set, the nature of the game is not a great complement to the full court version in terms of building the team skills. And the attraction of BVB as being a revenue stream for players in a game that does not have a professional league will not be there.
Also, the idea Mr. Johnson expresses was to have a circuit, part of the FIBA 3x3 World tour program, where people are ranked and tour the country playing in different cities, like in beach volleyball. They would love to have their own pool of players to pull from.
Have you watched any of it? It is not the same game but as its own sport it is quite enjoyable. Watching the USA women compete yesterday was really pretty - they played very well as a team and the assists and movement were great. The team they played was overmatched, but when they play competitive games it can be quite full of tension as well. The one competition change I would like to see is to go with a best 2 out of 3 for the semis and final and reduce the number of teams coming out of the roundrobin phase.
Thank you! I agree with your thoughts. The Beach Volleyball comparison is not a bad one at all, as they said. It is a different game, with a fun, rowdy atmosphere. I didn't think I would like it, but I found myself watching other games besides the USA team as well, even though whatever the commentator said was all Greek to me!
I could see 3x3 bb as a sort of jv or prelim game at the big wcbb schools. For example, UConn's team last year may have been Heather, Lauren and Michala. Not a bad team at all and it would have given them both PT and their own identity. But Geno is not about to have a team comprised of Bria, Kaleena, and Kiah with none on the varsity roster. Or yet another of Breanna, Morgan and Moriah. No way!
The other thing I really am enjoying is seeing all the national teams in this tournament from such basketball hotbeds as Nepal and Jordan. Admittedly they are not winning, but it points to the idea of developing a more world wide appeal for basketball. Much easier to find 6 people to play on a court than to find 10, and much cheaper to support and transport around.
I haven't and have no desire to. I love basketball but three-on-three just doesn't sound in the least appealing to me.
OK - but I do think you should spend the 15 minutes to watch one game, just to be sure! I agree that it will never replace basketball, but ... As far as the bikinis JimGunther - with the amount of physical contact I think there might be a number of wardrobe malfunctions - which of course would just raise the ratings I suppose. Maybe just trot out the old Australia national team uniforms for 4 years ago? Would that satisfy you?
