Basketball Scholarships
You almost have to experience it for yourself in person in order to understand the significance of college basketball in the United States. While most basketball fans around the world focus mainly on the NBA, in certain parts of the US most people are more interested in college basketball. States such as North Carolina, Indiana, Kansas, and Kentucky are known to be college basketball regions with several top caliber teams. Ever since the NBA made it mandatory for potential players to play at least one year of college basketball, the college game has gotten even more popular. There is basically a game to watch on TV every night during the season and the NCAA’s playoff tournament is called “March Madness“ for a reason.
Am I eligible?
Having a high enough GPA or SAT/ACT score is the most overlooked concept by student athletes looking to be recruited. You can be a top caliber recruit who is wanted by the best teams in the country, but if you do not have the right grades and test scores, you simply will not be eligible to play in the NCAA or you will not qualify for the university of your dreams. If you do not have high enough grades to compete within the NCAA, you will be what is called a “non qualifier” and you will either need to improve your grades or attend an NJCAA college for two years in order to then be able to transfer to a four year school to get your bachelor’s degree. The College Sports America team has a lot of experience with this and will guide you through the whole process. We will obviously consult you all the way till the end and find the best possible option for you.
Scholarships
Plenty of basketball scholarships are available throughout the different divisions and more and more international players have taken advantage of this great opportunity. However, if you are looking for a basketball scholarship (and this is the case in all other college sports as well), be ready to work hard and know how to manage your time wisely. College basketball is conducted in a very professional manner and your coaches will expect you to work very hard and to represent your team and the university in a very professional way. This makes college basketball the perfect preparation for a successful professional career afterwards, either in the US or in another professional league elsewhere in the world.
Here are some more important facts about college basketball and basketball scholarships:
- Number of NCAA Div 1 basketball teams: Men 351, Women 349
- Number of NCAA Div 2 basketball teams: Men 313, Women 314
- Total Number of basketball teams (all divisions): Men 1983, Women 1948
- Total number of college basketball players: Men 33000, Women 28000
- Scholarship limit per team: D1 Men: 13, D1 Women: 15, D2 Men: 10, D2 Women: 10, NAIA D1 Men & Women: 11, NJCAA Men & Women: 15
- Former college basketball players: Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Russel Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry